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Here are the Top 10 Things NOT to do when you Divorce

Here are the Top 10 Things NOT to do when you Divorce

Divorce Fayetteville ARDivorce can be many things: painful, emotional, costly, and complicated. Because it involves almost every aspect of your life, divorce is rarely a simple, straightforward process. It’s important to have an experienced divorce lawyer on your side to navigate the path ahead and to protect your and your children’s best interests. Combined, our Fayetteville divorce lawyers have been helping Arkansas families for nearly 200 years, and we’ve just about seen it all. So if you’re wondering what to avoid when filing for divorce, keep these 10 tips in mind:

1. Don’t try to share a lawyer with your spouse.

While this might seem like a good way to cut down on the cost of divorce, a single firm cannot ethically represent both of you. What’s best for your spouse in a divorce might not be good for you at all. You each need a lawyer that truly represents your best interests.

2. Don’t sign anything without talking to your lawyer.

When it comes to any type of paperwork, the best policy is to trust but verify with your divorce lawyer. Examples of paperwork that might come up are a waiver, entry of appearance, or a property settlement agreement. Signing a document like this could adversely affect you later if the matter becomes contested.

3. Don’t air your dirty laundry on social media.

In today’s digital age, what you might think is harmless venting to friends on facebook can be just a screenshot away from the courtroom. Leave discussion of your marriage problems or domestic issues off social media. It rarely ends well when you see your social media communications brought into the courtroom.

4. Don’t take photos of your child being held by a new boy/girlfriend.

Do not try to use your children as a pawn to manipulate or hurt your spouse. Not only will it hurt your children, it will also be looked down on by the court.

Right now, you might think you want to make your spouse angry. And nothing inflames a spouse worse than seeing pictures of their child with a new boy/girlfriend. But this makes it very difficult to work out a settlement, which will drag out your divorce, costing you more time, emotion, and money than is necessary.

5. Don’t try to hide assets. 

Sometimes, one spouse will transfer property during a divorce in an attempt to hide assets. The court will usually find out, and you will lose all credibility with the court. It’s not worth the risk.

6. Don’t forget about taxes.

Ask your attorney if you need to involve an accountant in the divorce process. Some decisions (like who gets the house, how to divide assets) have tax implications that you should consider before finalizing the divorce.

7. Don’t forget to read the court’s standing order.

Read and follow the court’s standing order. This is attached to each divorce complaint and basically serves to outline restrictions on what you and your spouse can or cannot do with regards to each other and any children. Not everything will apply specifically to you, but it’s a good idea to be informed of your rights and restrictions.

8. Don’t buy a house during a divorce.

In fact, do not purchase any real or personal property after the divorce has been filed. It can be considered marital property, which is then subject to division by the court.

9. Don’t fight over things you don’t care about.

The more you fight over stuff, the longer it takes to finalize your divorce, and the higher your legal fees will be. Do you want to get full custody of the children? Keep the house? Decide what’s really important to you — what you actually care about — and let go of things like who gets to keep the china.

10. Don’t take it out on the kids.

Do not talk poorly of your spouse in front of the children for any reason. This will injure their self-esteem and can do tremendous damage to them in an already difficult situation. Try to think about the long-term in every decision with your children. You want them to grow up to be healthy and well adjusted.

With every decision, ask yourself what is in their best interest. Handle yourself in such a way that you and your spouse can attend all of your children’s important events— graduations, weddings, birthdays, baby showers — and not make it the worst and most uncomfortable day of their lives. That starts during the divorce.

 

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