Common mistakes that make your Attorney cringe in a divorce case
Attorneys work with a wide variety of people and
circumstances on a daily basis. Each case they work on is different and
contains it's own set of unique problems to work out. These problems are usually
seen as a challenge and your attorney with work hard to get the best outcome.
There are a few mistakes however that Attorney's cringe over and my advice
would be to avoid these mistakes at all costs by doing the following:
1. Make sure you
plan ahead. A divorce shouldn't be a
spontaneous decision. Plan ahead by meeting with an attorney for advice well
before filing. There are a lot of things you can do before filing a divorce to
protect yourself. Some attorneys will even allow you to arrange a payment plan
in advance to cover legal costs. Also, your attorney may want you to meet a
financial advisor or tax consultant ahead of time to try and diminish losses.
Divorces can be expensive and stressful. It is going to be a challenge adapting
to a single income again. It pays to be prepared!
2. Watch what you
say. There are few situations in life that will affect your emotions like a
divorce or custody battle. One of the hardest things to do is hold your tongue.
Please remember anything that you email, text, twitter, post on Facebook, etc.
will most likely be used against you by your ex's attorney. There is not a
whole lot an attorney can say to defend someone who sends a text threatening
their ex. "He was only kidding..." is not a well respected excuse. It
may be tempting to respond to enraging texts, but don't. Hold your tongue!
3. Consult your
attorney about lifestyle changes. When filing for a divorce, people are
typically anxious to change their lives quickly and they frequently do so
without counsel. There are a lot of legal factors when making decisions such as
the sell of a house, relocating children, changing incomes/jobs, etc. These
changes can be damaging to your case. Please consult an attorney first!
4. Don't involve your children in the battle.
Kids are going to be facing lots of new challenges and emotional struggles.
They don't need to be on anyone's side. They should be able to love both their
parents despite the circumstances of your relationship with your ex. Trying to
turn your children against your former spouse or refusing to let your ex see
the kids is not a wise decision and it will most likely come back to bite you.
Be fair with your children.
Following these suggestions will keep your attorney
happy, help you gain favor as a respectable party in the divorce and help you
obtain a good outcome in your case. Best Wishes!
