Divorce is something that we all hope to never have to face, but unfortunately, a lot of us do at some point. According to the American Psychological Association, roughly 20% of first marriages end in divorce (generally, within five years) and 48% of marriages don’t make it past the 20-year mark.
While you’re not alone in this struggle, that doesn’t make it all that much easier. However, divorce can be a smoother process than you fear it will be. By getting everything in order and hiring someone trained in family law from places such as Brisbane family law services, you can make the transition as smooth as possible.
Getting a divorce is hard enough without having to stress about the process. Hiring an attorney who specializes in family law can greatly ease that stress. Check out these five tips for getting through a divorce.
Think about what’s important to you
Before you get caught up in an argument about what is “fair” and “owed to you,” step back to evaluate what aspects are worth fighting for regarding your wants and needs. For example, if a good custody agreement with your children is most important to you, maybe consider being more flexible with access to shared assets such as a car or summer home. Our emotions often get the best of us, but this is the time to be practical and to evaluate what you’ll need in the future to ensure we get it.
Keep your emotions in check
Get ahead of our negative emotions so that you can get on the other side of a divorce without having damaged the relationship so badly that you can no longer co-parent effectively (if you have children) or even live in the same town. Keeping your emotions in check will also help you be ready to compromise when need be. This is crucial because, according to FindLaw.com, “Reasonable compromise yields quicker and easier results in divorce cases.”
Staying on the outside of your emotions is another reason that hiring a great legal team is essential in a divorce. Attorneys won’t be coming from an emotional place. They will only be coming from a place of practical experience of knowing what works.
Know the figures
Using online tools, you can find your credit score and then proceed to calculate all of your debt, your assets, and what money is in which accounts. While it may be tempting to try to hide assets in a particularly heated divorce, you must be transparent with your divorce attorney about all these numbers as well. According to FindLaw.com, “A court can throw out a divorce decree based on financial deception, putting you back in court years after you thought everything was final.” It’s always better to make sure you get these things completely over with so that healing can begin.
Which process for divorce should you file?
When it comes to divorce, you have different ways to go about it. The most common types are mediation, collaborative, or traditional litigation. Investigate the benefits and downsides of each and to consider which would be best for your current situation. In some circumstances, maybe a legal separation would be better than a divorce. Be ready to bring these things up to your legal team.
Take care of yourself
We’ve all heard the saying “half of marriages end in divorce”, but according to an article published in TIME late last year, the estimate is closer to 39 percent in the US. This means that there still is hope. Maybe your next marriage will work out.
You will endure. But during a divorce, having a great support system (preferably people who support you without imposing their own opinions on the situation) and making sure you’re still caring for your health is crucial. If you need to see a therapist, see a therapist. If you need to go for a run to ease tension, do it. Don’t let a divorce set you back any more than it must.
