Divorce can prove to be a tricky process. The whole thing is very prone to mistakes if not handled professionally. As such, the more prepared you are, the better. Having to deal with the separation alone is quite stressful and this goes a notch high if there are kids involved. A large amount of cash and of assets also adds to more stress as a legal battle may ensue in the process of splitting the property.
Divorce usually tends to bring out the worst in people, even in the most amicable of separations. In order to ensure everything remains on track and to keep things from getting way out of hand, you will need to engage the services of an experienced and reputable divorce lawyer.
Below are some of the important things that you need to know about the divorce process:
An Unhappy Spouse
Sometimes, emotions get the best of us and the result is far more than a verbal argument. You need to be prepared for an angry spouse. While physical abuse is not common, it does happen. If you believe your spouse may attack you, take precautionary measures to protect yourself. If there is a history, you may want to involve the police. Don’t let it happen even once. Do not put yourself in vulnerable situations.
It’s Not Just a Simple Separation
Divorce is not just a simple break up. For most of us, as mentioned above, it involves splitting of property including homes or apartments, cars, stocks, and money among other things. Money is a big concern, and understandably so, it is important to handle the process in a way that will ensure you walk out of the marriage with what is rightfully yours. This can be a great boost in terms of stability especially if in the end, you win the custody of the children. You walk out on everything with nothing if you have children. It’s even more important to be financially safe.
Your Divorce Process Can Take Time
In some cases, rushing the process may end up working against you. Your case cannot be finalized for a minimum of 60 days after being filed in court. And in most cases, it takes longer than that. The good thing is, if the divorce is not a messy one, it doesn’t have to drag on for months and months on end.
Even if you have to fight for the more intricate stuff, like child custody and division of property, an expert divorce lawyer can help in reducing the hassles and time involved.
Child Custody Is No Longer Obvious
You are likely aware of this fact: Traditionally, mothers have won child custody time and again in many divorce cases even if the father tried his best to get the custody due to gender bias of sorts. Yes, some of this bias still exist on a smaller scale, but times have changed. More and more fathers are winning custody for numerous reasons. Most importantly, the fact that they can be better parents.
Not All Lawyers Are Equal
You can open up the phone book and get a list of a few hundred divorce lawyers. But can you see relevant experience easily here? Are they always upfront about fees? The problem is not that all lawyers are dishonest. It’s much more than that. Some may promise too much, charge you too much, lack experience in tough cases, and/or are already fully loaded with work.
A good divorce lawyer does not promise you things they cannot give, charges you fairly, has experience in tough cases, and has the time available to help you.…
It is important to realize that one purpose of the legal process of divorce is resolving the custody issues and dissolving the assets. The primary task of your attorney is to give you the best representation in the courts during the process. While you might be undergoing psychological and emotional torture, you must bear in mind that he is not trained to be your therapist coach.
When you decide to go the legal way, it is critical to note that the ultimate goal of the process is to get divorced. However, this should not take a heavy toll on your mental, emotional, or physical health because you will have a life to live after the divorce.