5 Common Mistakes to Avoid during a Divorce
It can feel like chaos in the weeks and months following a divorce. Even if you initiated the split, you may feel like you don’t know what to do now that you have to rebuild your life alone. You may worry about money, and you may feel anxious about what will happen with your children. Add to that the intense emotions that can come from ending the relationship, and you are likely not going to be in a place to make the best decisions.
It’s easy to make mistakes in your divorce that can end up hurting you for a long time. The best thing you can do is to contact a divorce lawyer near Phoenix as quickly as possible to get guidance so that you can make the best choices throughout the process. Your divorce attorney is likely to also tell you that these are some of the most common mistakes that you should try to avoid during a divorce:
Do It Yourself
Divorce is expensive – partly because you now have to pay for everything yourself and partly because legal representation is expensive. But you shouldn’t let penny pinching lead you to take corners that could be much more costly later.
Avoid using DIY services that provide you with the documents to fill out and submit yourself. You can overlook key factors that can cost you in your divorce settlement. You need to sit down with an experienced divorce lawyer who can help you understand all the issues relevant to your divorce and who can draft the appropriate documents.
Skipping the Discovery Phase
Discovery is an important part of the divorce process since it can help you get an accurate understanding of your marital assets and debts. But discovery can also take a long time, depending on how complex your marital estate, and the more time it takes, the more money you will spend on legal fees and the longer it will take for you to get the resolution you want.
Don’t let the time or the expense deter you. Proper discovery is essential to the success of your case. Your divorce lawyer must know all the information in order to fight for the best settlement for you.
Letting Revenge Motivate You
You may feel devastated by your divorce. And you may feel angry. Very angry. You may feel years of resentment over your spouse’s refusal to work or inability to be a full partner in the house work. Or you may feel bitter after finding out that your spouse has been unfaithful.
You may try to use your divorce as an opportunity to get back at your spouse for all the pain they caused you. However, letting revenge motivate you will only blind you to the things you need to do to get what you want. For example, you may need to compromise on one issue to get another win that you want. But if you’re too angry to think straight, you may dig in over keeping that time share instead of focusing on the bigger picture of keeping your marital home, for example.
Lying to Your Lawyer
We get it. Everyone wants to be seen in their best light. No one wants to admit that they kissed the neighbor while they were married or that they threw a lamp in the middle of an argument. But keeping the details from your divorce lawyer can make it harder for your attorney to properly represent you.
Even if you don’t share the dirty details in court, you should count on your spouse trying to use them against you. If you haven’t told your lawyer about them, your lawyer is going to be blindsided and won’t have a proper defense. Come clean to your attorney about everything now so that you can be ready if the information comes to light. Your attorney may even be able to take offensive measures to keep the information from being brought up.
Trying to Hide Assets
You may be so worried about what will become of your finances after a divorce that you actually hide money or other assets so that your spouse can’t take any or all of it. You may start doing this in anticipation of the split, or you may do it after the divorce is announced. Either way, it’s a big mistake.
Hiding assets can not only jeopardize your divorce settlement, but it can also land you in legal trouble. If a judge finds out you hid assets, your spouse may get more in the settlement as consequence. You may also face criminal charges, depending on the severity of the act.
It can be hard to get through a divorce with serenity and grace, but you have to do the best you can to keep your wits about you and to make decisions with logic and strategy. Working with an experienced divorce lawyer near Phoenix can help you stay on track by providing you with guidance each step of the way and ensuring that you are making decisions that will best further your goals.
The divorce attorneys at My AZ Lawyers are ready to help you fight for the divorce settlement you want. Our family law lawyers are versed in all aspects of divorce, including child custody and support. We’ll help you understand your options and then determine a strategy for getting the agreement you want. Contact us in Phoenix today to talk with a family law attorney about your case.
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