Divorce is full of challenges—and you’re not alone when you feel like they’re insurmountable. By avoiding the most common pitfalls, you can make your case as painless as possible. Your Barrie divorce lawyer will best be able to fight for your rights if you can stay out of sticky situations.
1. Getting Divorce Advice from Family and Friends
While your family and friends may have personal experience with divorce, they don’t have the legal knowledge your Barrie divorce lawyer does. Sometimes, listening to well-intentioned family and friends can actually hurt your case. While they may have “it-happened-to-me” stories and personal experience, your lawyer knows your situation and understands the legal aspects of your divorce, so it’s best to get legal advice straight from a professional.
2. Letting Kids Get Caught in the Crossfire
Some parents use their kids as pawns during divorce. Whether they’re used in an attempt to hurt the other parent or to get the upper hand, it’s wrong—they deserve to be protected during this tumultuous time in their lives. If your ex is using your children to get to you, let your Barrie divorce lawyer know immediately. There may be legal ramifications for involving the kids, and your lawyer might be able to help shield them.
Your Barrie divorce lawyer may also be able to recommend a local therapist who can help your kids deal with the divorce and process their emotions in a healthy way.
3. Failure to Stick to a Budget
Divorce changes most people’s financial outlooks. People who were used to living on two incomes have to become accustomed to living on one while shouldering all the financial responsibilities, or those with no income have to figure out where their money will come from.
Your Barrie divorce lawyer may suggest that you set up a budget. While budgeting is a great idea, it’s a waste of time if you don’t stick to it. Even if you think you’re in good shape financially, creating and sticking to a budget can help to ensure that you can rebuild your finances after your divorce.
4. Allowing Emotions to Rule over Logic
During a divorce, it’s tough to keep your emotions out of the decisions you make. It’s so tough, in fact, that most people can’t do it. That’s where your Barrie divorce lawyer comes in; he or she can help you see the bigger picture and give you enough information to make solid decisions based on logic, not based on the hurt, anger and frustration you’re currently experiencing.
Your Barrie divorce lawyer serves as an impartial third party, so take advantage of his or her advice. This may be your second or subsequent divorce, but one thing’s certain: your Barrie divorce lawyer has seen hundreds (if not thousands) of couples go through what you’re going through right now.
5. Forgetting to Keep Track of What Your Ex Does
A journal can serve as a written record of what your ex does during your divorce—and your Barrie divorce lawyer may recommend that you start one. Even if your lawyer doesn’t make the suggestion, it’s generally a good idea to jot things down as they happen. That way, you can keep all your facts straight and access them when your lawyer needs to know something.
Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how helpful a divorce journal can be. Talk to your Barrie divorce lawyer about starting one if you haven’t already.
