You probably didn’t consider number 10
Divorce is a complex process. Those involved face legal, financial and psychological challenges, all while managing the everyday demands of work and parenting. From a lawyer’s experience, these 17 mistakes can be the most damaging to your case. Avoiding them can help ensure a good outcome, while helping you on your way to healing and fewer regrets.
- Signing a legal agreement without understanding the agreement completely, and/or discussing it with a trusted friend, getting professional legal counsel, or thinking it through carefully.
- Letting emotions — guilt, loneliness, embarrassment, and fear — affect your decisions.
- Not asking for help from professionals and trusted family members and friends.
- Confiding too much and in the wrong people.
- Not knowing about or not including all assets and debts of the marital partnership in the divorce proceedings.
- Moving out of your family home or leaving your children in your spouse’s custody temporarily, when your objective is to remain in the family home or to be the custodial parent.
- Continuing divorce negotiations or mediation when it is no longer productive, financially feasible or emotionally worthwhile to do so.
- Initiating a divorce but then reconciling or living separately, leaving the divorce action undefined and in limbo.
- Failing to fully define the reasons that led you to divorce and/or withholding crucial information about your spouse’s misconduct to avoid his or her wrath, embarrassment, or despair.
- Assuming the settlement must conform to the terms a judge would order if your case went to trial — or to another prescribed formula — that does not consider the unique factors in your case.
- Settling for less child support than you are entitled to and need.
- Believing what is your spouse’s is not yours — marriage is an economic partnership.
- Failing to ensure continued child and/or spousal support with life and disability insurance.
- Disregarding court orders.
- Utilizing delay tactics by switching lawyers — more than twice is not a good idea.
- Sleeping with those involved in your case including your attorney, marriage counselor, financial advisor, and real estate appraiser, among others.
- Failing to move on and start your new life.
With a bit of preparation, forethought, and help from trusted friends, family, and professionals, you can avoid these pitfalls.
