If you are heading toward divorce, the chances are good that you can look back over your marriage and identify mistakes you have made. Perhaps those mistakes contributed to the breakup, or maybe they simply made things difficult for you and your spouse. No matter the case, in hindsight you would probably avoid those mistakes if you could.
The same may be true for your divorce. It is far better to avoid the mistakes in the first place than it is to look back with regret. Some mistakes in a divorce can complicate the proceedings or leave you struggling for years after the divorce is final.
Move forward carefully
While it may seem as if divorce is an emotional event, this is only partially true. In fact, if you allow your emotions to control you, the chances of making costly errors increase. It is important to remember that you are going through a legal process, the result of which may determine how financially comfortable you will be in the years to come. For this reason, it is critical that you remain focused and organized so you can avoid these and other mistakes:
- Agreeing to leave joint credit accounts open
- Relying on your ex to pay debts that still have your name on them
- Neglecting to calculate tax ramifications when dividing investments and retirement accounts
- Fighting for possession of the family home without figuring the cost of taxes, maintenance, utilities and other expenses
- Waiting until it is too late to gather essential financial information, such as account numbers, your spouse’s Social Security statements, asset appraisals and other items
- Conducting your divorce on social media
Social media is often a critical piece of evidence in a divorce trial. Careless posts about vacations, purchases or inappropriate behavior may not only damage your case regarding spousal support, but it may also jeopardize your child custody efforts. When going through a divorce, it is always wise to step away from social media and keep your attention on building your case.
You do not want to make the mistake of believing the only way to divorce is through a contentious trial. In fact, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution may be more appropriate and more beneficial for your circumstances. You will want to seek information about your choices from an attorney who is well experienced in all options for contested and uncontested divorces in Texas.