Dealing with divorce and child custody is one of the most stressful problems you’ll ever have to tackle. Most people suffer through mistakes along the way. Avoid them to save money and your sanity. To do your best throughout your divorce, watch out for the following common pitfalls:
Ignoring the End Game
When you get a divorce, you aren’t just separating your life from someone else’s. You’re starting a new chapter in your story, so be prepared to write it well. Ensure the stipulations you agree to don’t leave you destitute or in danger of losing even more freedom or income. Filing a joint tax return or selling the family home, for instance, are two routine decisions you don’t want to make without taking all facts into consideration. Ensure your attorney advises you on decisions while taking your situation to heart and not just handing out cookie-cutter advice.
Showing Your Hand Too Early
Divorce isn’t usually something to file for overnight without some preparation. It is essential to speak to a divorce attorney regarding your particular situation. You may want to gather and obtain documentation or other evidence and preserve it during the divorce. It is not unusual for documents or other information to no longer be available after a divorce filing. For instance, if your spouse is cheating, if you’re planning to move across the country for a new job, or if your spouse has already left, your access to information and documentation that may be critical to the outcome of your case may be more difficult to obtain after your spouse is aware of your intention to file for divorce. Threatening to file or gloating to your spouse gives your partner time to hide assets, destroy evidence, cut off your financial resources, and ruin your credit or worse.
Demonizing Your Spouse
Broken hearts and rationality rarely go hand in hand. It’s easy to focus too intently on your pain, especially if your spouse has mistreated you. Concentrating on your spouse’s flawed character or wrong decisions can close your eyes to the real issues to be addressed. This can also present problems if you are called to testify in a hearing or trial. The court may feel that the information is irrelevant to the case, and you may appear vindictive. If you come across as unreasonable, it can hurt your credibility, making it harder for the court to trust your accounting of events. If child custody is on the table, this behavior can raise concerns about your ability to provide a healthy and happy home.
Presentation is Important
The judge is a person, first and foremost, and will often have to form personal opinions about you based on your testimony. How you present yourself can be more critical than any accusation you could lob at your spouse. If you’re relatively calm in court and stick to sharing facts and responding thoughtfully to questions, it can have a more significant impact on your divorce and custody applications than any credentials you could present to the judge. Why? It is more likely that you will be perceived as rational, truthful, and reliable in the eyes of the court.
Get Help with Divorce and Child Custody
Divorce doesn’t come easy, especially if you have children. It can be challenging to keep a clear head and act responsibly. Having the proper legal support can make all the difference.
You don’t have to find answers about divorce and child custody alone. Contact a compassionate, skilled attorney in Cumming, GA, today. Call (770) 475-2521 to contact the Reeder Law Firm now and get the help you need.
