When you go through a divorce, many things can affect the outcome. Make sure you know what to expect and avoid.
Divorce can be incredibly painful, no matter the circumstances. You’ll need sound advice so you can go through it in a productive and healing way. Check out these tips from legal professionals to ensure your divorce proceedings go as smoothly as possible.
Seven tips for divorce that are both legally and personally useful.
1. Make a Clean Relationship Break
Family law is messy. It’s even messier when you still have loose ends in your marriage.
In many breakups and divorces, lines get blurred, communication gets twisted and couples may even stay sexually intimate.
The sooner you stop your relationship’s bleeding, the easier it is to draw lines and address your divorce. This tells you you’re ready to move on and lets you handle things in a more business-like way. When feelings linger, it’s more difficult to move past the broken relationship.
When you’re ready to divorce, state your intentions clearly, serve your spouse with papers and prepare yourself for the process to follow.
2. Get a Good Attorney
You will need the help of a dynamite family lawyer who can help you.
Speak to several attorneys to better understand the landscape of your case. This also lets you identify which are best equipped to assist you.
Once you select a family attorney, you can expect useful legal advice. The attorney will let you know what you’re up against, advise you on strategies and help you bridge the gap to reach necessary compromises.
3. Keep Your Finances in Order
Divorce can be expensive, but you stand to lose so much more if you fail to protect yourself.
When all’s said and done, a divorce can cost about $15,000 or so. This is a small price to pay when it comes to the long-term protection your finances.
It’s especially important to clearly address the details if you have businesses and investments together. You will need to go through every part of your portfolio so you can split up debt responsibility, decide what happens to any shared properties, and figure out alimony or other obligations.
Now’s the time to start dividing your finances. Open separate accounts and close joint credit cards and other bank accounts, so there are clear financial distinctions.
4. Stay in Your Home Unless Told Otherwise
One of the best pieces of divorce advice is to know the laws of your state.
Something as simple as moving out can create big problems depending on the law. For instance, you might move out to keep the peace, but it also might be construed that you abandoned your home and all rights to it.
Always seek the advice of your lawyer before you act. You’ll know your rights and what mistakes to avoid.
5. Seek Counseling and Healing
You need to have your head right when you divorce because it takes a huge mental toll.
Get professional therapy. It’s an excellent strategy just to have someone to talk to. This can help you make sense of how to move forward.
In the meantime, dust off your gym membership, eat properly and fortify your health so you can get through hard times.
6. Do Right by Your Children
Doing the right things for your kids is the most important aspect of any divorce.
Since your children are legally faultless, they need to be protected. You also need to make compromises that will keep you both involved in your children’s lives.
For instance, professional mediation is one of your best ways to make your child custody arrangement fair. A mediator can help you put together the parental strategies that are most effective.
7. Listen to Your Lawyer & Stay Prepared
Make sure you let your lawyer do what he or she does best.
You undercut your own interests if you don’t heed your attorney’s advice. Instead, check in from time to time, but be hands-off enough to trust him or her to work for you.
Be ready for all court hearings and requirements. Take care of yourself so you can address your case most productively.
Follow These Tips for Divorce
These seven tips will help you get to the other side of the pain and uncertainty divorce creates.
Since divorce is often one of life’s toughest experiences, protect yourself and get all of the help you need. That way, you can move to the next stage of your life prepared for the best.
Family law matters are crucial and complex. Make sure to get in touch with us if you need help with your divorce. Call us at (402) 415-2525 to schedule a free appointment.
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