Let’s face it – divorce is a difficult process that can involve a lot of stress, time and energy. Many people who go through a divorce are doing so for the first time and can find it to be an intimidating process. Here are a few tips from The Greenberg Legal Group which can help you get off on the right foot and, with the help of an attorney, successfully navigate your divorce:
- If you have children with your spouse, start thinking about how your divorce will impact your children and what you can do to minimize any negative impact on them from the divorce.
Children are at the forefront of most parents’ minds when going through a divorce. Parents often face the difficult challenges of figuring out how to explain what is going on to their children, what the future looks like with the children after the divorce is over and many other issues. Since you and your spouse will most likely be living separate and apart after the divorce, it is important to consider what custody schedule you and the other parent will follow – in other words, when each of you will have visitation time with your children. For example, if one parent thinks that they want to move across the country for a “fresh start” after the divorce, they should also heavily consider the fact that the children cannot be in two places at once and will need to spend the majority of the school year with one parent. In some cases, it may be better to remain close by to the other parent to promote a more equal distribution of parenting time with the children.
- Communication is key.
There are a number of different reasons why a marriage may break down over time, but one of the biggest factors is an inability of one or both spouses to effectively communicate. It’s important to take a step back and look at how you have been communicating with your spouse – whether you communicate more effectively over writing or verbally, the language you use with your spouse and the tone in which such language is used. The same is also true for your spouse’s communication style and how you believe they could improve so that you both have more effective communication. Even though you and your spouse may have decided to go your separate ways, being able to effectively communicate about your divorce and how you want to accomplish that will be very helpful in resolving your differences amicably.
Also, communication is especially important for spouses who have children together. Even though you can obtain a divorce and become legally detached from your spouse, you will always be linked through the children that you share together. Communication is the most effective indicator of a successful co-parenting relationship. If you and your current or former spouse can effectively communicate about your children, it will make your life much easier and will help make the co-parenting process easier for your children.
- Review and become intimately familiar with your finances.
Divorce can have significant consequences on your financial situation. This is especially true after lengthy marriages where the parties have accumulated substantial property, bank accounts and other assets which they shared together during the marriage. It is very important to take time to understand not only what property and other assets will be subject to distribution as part of the divorce, but also to consider how you would like to divide those assets. A few types of marital property which are frequently subject to division during the divorce process are the marital home and any other real estate the parties own, retirement accounts, bank accounts, vehicles and other personal items.
Remember – if you and your spouse cannot agree on how to divide your marital property, a Judge will do it for you, so it is often beneficial to have a discussion with your spouse about how you would like the marital property to be divided. This is why communication is vital and can go a long way towards making the divorce process much easier.
- Consult with an Attorney.
The divorce process involves a number of different legal issues which are very difficult to navigate without legal knowledge and expertise. These legal issues come up in a number of different ways, ranging from how the law applies to your particular situation to whether or not you can get your evidence admitted at trial to help your case. There is nothing worse than being blindsided or things not going as you expected with your case – particularly when your property and custody of your children are at stake. An experienced divorce attorney can lead you through this process and help you achieve the outcome you want so that you come out of your divorce in the best position possible.
