When it comes to divorce, some mistakes are more common than others.
What makes highlighting them so useful is that doing so stands to save a significant amount of people from making errors when going through a divorce. This can protect them from monetary costs, wasting time, and experiencing many negative emotions. The following are six common mistakes that will very likely negatively impact your divorce case.
Not Accounting For Assets
Marriage makes you and your partner one legal entity. One result of that is you sharing financial assets. It is crucial to understand every one of these accounts and items before you finalize your divorce. If you do not, you could end up losing a hefty portion of what you deserve. An excellent way to avoid this outcome is hiring a financial professional to assess your situation.
Fighting With Your Ex
Fighting with your ex will only lead to more bitterness and a slower legal process. Not only will you pay for this behavior in negative emotion, but you will also quickly amass legal bills. Neither of those outcomes is preferable, so you should always do your best to be collaborative.
Involving Your Children
While you should communicate with your children about the divorce, you should never use them to try and get back at your ex. Doing so will be a negative experience for everyone involved and could lead to long-term relationship damage. Instead, try to do what’s best for your kids, no matter how bad your relationship is with your spouse.
Being Rude to the Judge
If you end up in court for your divorce, you’ll have to see a judge. That person will listen to your case, provide some guidance, and make crucial decisions if needed. One mistake people often make is being rude to the judge. This kind of behavior can come back to haunt you later on, as that person wields a significant amount of power over your future.
Not Being Actively Involved
As good as your lawyer might be, you won’t get the divorce results you want unless you play an active role. The reason is that legal professionals aren’t mind readers. You’ll have to communicate with your attorney if you want negotiations to go as planned.
Settling Too Quickly
Deciding when to settle and when to fight for more is best discussed with your lawyer. What this choice will come down to is the offer on the table and your priorities. No matter what, you should never take a bad deal. It is usually much better to spend a bit more time negotiating and get better terms as a result.
While your St. Louis family law attorney will shoulder a significant portion of the responsibility in your split, you will still play a vital role. Part of it is resisting the temptation to be disengaged, be rude to the judge, fight with your ex, or exhibit any other behavior we detailed on this list. If you can manage to do so, you increase your chance of a better outcome.