On behalf of Gary Kirk of Kirk Montoute Dawson LLP posted in Family Law on Monday, September 7, 2015.
There is no question that for most people a divorce is one of the most traumatic things they will go through in life. As is the case with many things, there are steps that can be taken to try to minimize that trauma. Knowing what some of the more common mistakes are is the first step in avoiding them. We will cover some of those mistakes in this post.
Some of these mistakes pertain to all individuals who are divorcing such as taking legal advice from people who are not knowledgeable about the topic. While many people may have information to share, the only person someone should actually be taking advice from regarding legal matters is an attorney.
Another mistake that some people make is to not plan ahead financially for their life once the divorce is done. There are many matters that need to be addressed in the course of a divorce and your financial wellbeing should not fall to the wayside. Having a financial plan in place for when then divorce is complete is the best way to start the next chapter of your life.
Being sure to advocate for yourself is also important. The failure to speak up, to make sure your wishes are known, when matters are being sorted out, could lead to settlement that is not to your liking.
In some cases the best result will be found via a route other than litigation. Mediation can work in many situations. Couples that decide to use this method will work with a mediator to reach an agreement on the matters that exist in relation their divorce. There are many upsides to this approach and it is often especially appealing if you have children.
We will focus specifically on some of the mistakes people make in the course of a divorce that relate to children, in our next post.
Related Posts: Understanding home ownership and property rights in a divorce, Travelling without children during a family law dispute, Set boundaries and rules to protect kids from child custody drama, Protecting credit amidst a family law dispute