New Jersey Family Law Blog6 Common Mistakes People Make When Divorcing
No matter how warranted the grounds, divorce is hard on everyone. And while each divorce is as unique as the individuals involved, mistakes made along the way can make the process even more difficult. Here are six of the most common mistakes couples make when divorcing.
- Letting emotions cloud their judgement – Divorce dredges up a range of emotions: sadness, anger, betrayal, fear. While these emotions are normal, letting them get in the way of the decision-making process can have a negative impact later for you and your children.
- Failing to keep communications open – A failure to communicate and an unwillingness to compromise can lead to lengthy legal battles that will prolong the process and significantly affect the cost of your divorce.
- Not fully disclosing your financials – Trying to hide assets will hurt your credibility in court. Failing to collect all relevant financial records and underestimating your future expenses can result in not receiving a fair settlement, which can make adjustment after divorce more difficult.
- Involving the children in your battles – Divorce affects everyone in the family, but dragging your children into your arguments will further harm them emotionally. It can lead to resentment and damage the parent/child relationship. Additionally, this behavior can anger the judge presiding over your case and have a negative impact on your custody negotiations.
- Over-sharing on social media – We all need to vent when going through an emotional situation but avoid doing so on social media. What you post online is a matter of public record and oversharing details of your marriage and/or breakup or badmouthing your spouse can provide him or her with evidence to use against you in court.
- Not getting your own counsel – While you may be tempted to save costs during your divorce, forgoing independent legal counsel is not the way to go about it. It is the job of an attorney to look out for the best interest of his or her client; therefore, each spouse should retain their own legal counsel to ensure their rights are protected, especially when children are involved or in cases of high net-worth divorces.
Avoiding these mistakes won’t eliminate the emotional impact of divorce, but it can ease the process and set you up for a more manageable post-divorce life.