Taking Action to Avoid Disaster
Tension can run high in any divorce, and because of this fact, it’s very easy for people to act in ways that might jeopardize their final settlement agreement. Unfortunately, many people have engaged in behaviors that seem harmless at the time yet cause considerable harm later on; worse yet, these behaviors have become commonplace in many divorce cases.
Because of the necessity of avoiding these behaviors, here are common mistakes that people have made in divorces and why they should be avoided.
Getting It Over With
It’s very easy to want to get difficult circumstances in our lives over with as quickly as possible, and divorce is certainly no exception to this. However, because of the intricacies surrounding divorce as well as the issues of child custody, spousal support, and property division, ending a divorce as quickly as soon as your spouse presents their terms could put you at a disadvantage.
When you accept terms of a settlement offer without considering the implications of your decision, you could be costing yourself a fair settlement agreement or property that is actually yours. Though divorce is difficult, you cannot allow yourself to accept the first offer that comes your way.
Needless Fighting
On the other hand, many people consider using the court as a tool for revenge against their spouse. They choose to draw out the legal battle and fight over every little detail that comes up. This type of approach, while seemingly satisfying at the time, can actually cost you much more in the long run.
By stretching out the length of your divorce and choosing to fight over everything, you run the risk of increasing the overall cost of your divorce. While your plan for revenge might have seemed successful, your finances might be devastated after the divorce is finalized. You must then answer if revenge was worth it.
Failing to Plan Your Financial Future
Your finances are going to change once your divorce is finalized. Gone are the days of having both your income and your spouse’s income and in its place are your income and any potential support payments you are awarded in the divorce. Because your financial situation will change, it’s important to get a good look at your current financial situation and project what the future may look like once everything is complete.
Take a look at what you were spending prior to the divorce and consider if those costs are still going to be present when your divorce is finalized. At the same time, look at the change in your income to see if any unnecessary expenses need to be cut or if additional money needs to be saved. Unfortunately, far too many people fail to take this valuable step, leading to periods of financial strain.
Along the same lines, you might want to consider your financial situation when looking at your lifestyle and if any changes are necessary. If you were living a “lavish” style of living prior to getting a divorce, the changes to your financial future may require that a change be made to your lifestyle for the foreseeable future. In addition, that lifestyle could impact how the court awards spousal support, adding further complexity to determining your financial future.
Reckless Decisions
Emotions can, unfortunately, sometimes get the better of us, and in those situations, we might make a rash decision because we were not thinking clearly. This can happen in a divorce and does happen all too often, as sometimes the wave of emotions hitting you time and time again can cause you to lose clarity of what’s going on.
Rash decision-making can take many different forms, from having a little too much fun at night to getting back into the dating world sooner than you should to sending a message to your spouse that you really shouldn’t send. Whatever the decision, it’s very important to slow down and truly examine the consequences of that decision. A choice made in haste could cost you much more than you may realize.
Failing to Work with a Divorce Legal Team
DIY projects are very common and can be very fun if done right. However, divorce is not something you should attempt to do on your own. You need the expertise of an attorney who can guide you throughout each step of the process and advise you on key steps in negotiation and other legal items. At Johnson / Turner Legal, we understand that divorce is difficult, which is why we’re here to help. Our team is standing by ready to be a resource to those who need it.
To ask questions about divorce or to get started with us, call us at (320) 299-4249 or visit us online.
