Even the friendliest of divorces can be challenging to navigate. Stress and tensions may mount which often leads to making decisions that aren’t in your best interests.
To lessen the chance of future regrets, here are 10 things a divorce lawyer will tell you to avoid when filing and going through a divorce:
- It is a normal inclination, but do not immediately broadcast you are getting a divorce. Unsolicited advice is not what you need right now.
- Do not dismiss mediation or collaborative divorce. It can be a more cooperative and less adversarial approach over traditional legal proceedings.
- Do not neglect your finances. Make copies of all financial documents before the process begins and set aside some funds for necessary expenses.
- Do you and your spouse have children? Avoid using them as pawns in an attempt to manipulate each other. It can drag out the process and damage your relationship with your child.
- Avoid incurring additional debt because it is often not divided equally during the divorce which could leave you in big financial trouble.
- You and your spouse may have reached a verbal agreement about property, but now’s the time to do everything by the book. Do not rely on non-legal arrangements or you might face serious trouble down the road, especially if your spouse files for bankruptcy.
- Try to avoid making unreasonable demands which can prolong the divorce, increase legal fees, and damage your credibility, all of which you end up paying for, not your spouse.
- Resist the temptation to play out your divorce on social media, including possible new relationships. If you haven’t already, adjust your privacy settings; otherwise anyone can screenshot, download, and share your posts.
- Do not forget about tax consequences. Consider speaking with a financial advisor early on to better understand what a division of assets could mean to you.
- Remember, your divorce lawyer is not your therapist. Your attorney is there to help you, but time is money, and it is better spent on great legal advice!
If you think divorce is in your future please call The Chesnutt Law Firm in Vero Beach, FL at 772-492-3330 for a consultation.
