The following Family Law tips for divorcing couples may help you navigate the nuances of the divorce process. It is important to remember that a divorce is often a traumatic event.
The best way to deal with it is to consider the best possible outcome and not focus on your personal grievances. Also, remember to prepare a budget for the first year after the divorce.
Avoid focusing on personal grievances
Divorce can be an emotional time, but try to avoid focusing on your personal grievances. It can be tempting to share your frustrations with friends and family, but that’s not constructive. Instead, focus on being a better person, and finding ways to deal with your divorce in a healthy way.
First, identify what your ex-spouse did or said that you regret. Often, a divorce will be motivated by personal grievances.
Creating a list of these will help you to see how much you contributed to misunderstandings and mistakes during your relationship. When you find out why you contributed to the problem, you can take steps to fix it. Also, you can hire a family lawyer.
Prepare a budget for the first year post-divorce
Divorce has several financial implications, and the first step is to prepare a budget. It’s important to take stock of your finances, including debt, child support, and alimony, as well as any savings you have.
You should also account for any expenses related to setting up a new household. You may be able to create a budget based on zero, which means that all your income is allocated to a single category.
It can be difficult to prepare a budget when your income and expenses are different. You may have fewer joint accounts, and your expenses might be higher than before.
You may have to make a separate budget for housing, groceries, and eating out. The cost of insurance may also be different and you need to make adjustments accordingly.
Don’t hire a litigator unless they are a well-trained facilitator or a collaborative law practitioner
If you have family law issues, you should consider using a collaborative divorce process instead of filing a lawsuit. During the process, the divorce attorneys act as a facilitator and advocates for both parties.
These attorneys must be collaboratively trained and certified. They should also have experience working in these kinds of proceedings. If the collaborative process does not work, you may need to hire a litigator.
Collaborative law practitioners focus on finding solutions that are fair and respectful for both parties. The parties will discuss the strategies and tactics to use during the case.
These discussions can include where to file the lawsuit, whether to file a response, whether to ask for a jury and more.
Don’t make allegations of wrongdoing
While divorcing, it is important to avoid escalating the conflict between you and your spouse. Attempting to prove your spouse’s infidelity can lead to civil liability and criminal penalties.
For example, if you spy on your spouse’s cell phone, you can face charges of illegal wiretapping. In addition, if your partner feels you have violated their privacy, they may sue you.
Don’t take depositions
Depositions can be long, uncomfortable, and stressful. It’s crucial that you are honest, and don’t speak more than the lawyer asks you to. Also, don’t talk to fill the silence. Depositions are often an opportunity for your attorney to earn his hourly rate. If you’re unsure of how to handle a deposition, ask your attorney to help you.
While depositions are not used in every family law case, they are an excellent way for attorneys to gather important information. For instance, depositions can establish a party’s right to reimbursement for expenses, establish fault in a divorce, or prove the other party was living out of business while the marriage was ongoing.
