The divorce process is not only emotional, it also can be expensive. Despite the risks involved with it, many people make plenty of mistakes that make it even more complex. Here are some of the most common mistakes as given by divorce lawyers:
Rushing the process
Due to the stress that comes with the process, some people try to rush the divorce. Which usually results in plenty of problems. For example, you usually end up hiring the wrong lawyer, you don’t represent yourself properly in court, among many other issues.
You should avoid hurrying the process. Take your time to prepare for the process. Do you feel that you can’t go through with the process? Consider having a trial separation first. This way you will ease the restlessness thus have more time to prepare yourself.
Failing to prepare yourself
Some people have the notion that the divorce process is easy and all they need to do is to show up. The shock on them when they can’t handle the process. Before you begin the divorce process, take time to prepare for it.
Make a detailed account of assets and debts that you have. Have your income and expense documents. You also should have the current tax returns. Do you have real estate investments, credits cards or any other investments? Put them together in a detailed document.
Going at it alone
Just as some people don’t prepare for the process, others don’t bother hiring a divorce attorney and opt to go at it alone. Their argument is that they are dealing with someone that they have lived with for years.
Most of these people are usually shocked when they realize that the person they called their love partner was out to get and take everything they own.
Regardless of how long you have lived with your partner, you should avoid going at the process alone. Take time to research and find an experienced lawyer who will help you through the process. Remember that there is a lot that goes on in the process.
There are negations on who get the children, who gets what after divorce, how much you each contribute to child support among many other things. For you to avoid contributing more than you should, always arm yourself with an attorney.
Giving all the control to the lawyer
When some people hire lawyers, they think their work is done. They leave everything to the attorney and the attorney has full control of the case. Don’t do this. Remember that you and your family are the ones that are going to live with the results of your divorce—not your lawyer.
Even when you hire a lawyer, you should be fully engaged with the case. You should know of any progress that the attorney makes. Are there any documents tabled by your partner? You should get to know about them and understand how they impact the case.
Insisting on fighting
Emotions are usually very high when divorcing. Since most of the divorces are due to disagreements, most partners want to hurt each other as much as possible. Due to this, they want to drag the case as much as they can.
Do you want to save money and have peace of mind? Avoid doing this. The best way of going about it is involving a mediator. Hire an attorney or any other professional to help you through the process. The professional should listen to your case and help you in coming up with an agreement that is ideal for both of you.
Involving the children
Children are a sensitive issue in divorce cases. Most partners try to alienate each other by trying to win children to their side. For everyone to be happy, keep the children out of the case as much as possible. You should note that by giving the children too much information about your divorce case you stress them out.
Doing so can also result to the court penalizing you as it deems that you are trying to create parental alienation.
Child support lawyers Alexandria VA recommend that you keep children out of the issue. In fact, if they are young, you shouldn’t let them know that you are going through the process. If they are old enough to understand what is going on, give them as scanty information as possible. Avoid diverging too much.