3 Things To Avoid When Divorcing

For most couples, ending a marriage is not going to be a pleasant process. Not only will you need to separate your lives physically, but there are also emotional and financial bonds that will need to be broken. Although it will not be easy, divorce can be less traumatizing for everyone involved. This guide and your attorney will help you avoid a few damaging mistakes that will affect your divorce and your future well-being.

DIY Divorce

If you search online or ask friends and family members, you may come across options that claim you and your spouse can divorce on your own. These do-it-yourself (DIY) divorce packages may seem to be inexpensive and simple. However, DIY divorces can actually end up causing more harm than good and costing you more money in the future.

Again, divorce not only ends a physical and emotional relationship—but it also ends a financial relationship in most cases. With a DIY divorce, you and your spouse will lack the professional experience needed to navigate the process of separating accounts and dividing assets. This could leave you, or your spouse, without assets and property that are deserved.

Even if you want to divorce quickly and efficiently, avoid the DIY divorce and trust a professional attorney.

Using Children

Another mistake attorneys want divorcing couples to avoid is using the children as negotiating tools or ways to hurt the other spouse. Children are not toys and they are not property—they are actual people, who will feel and see the emotional distress of the divorce process.

Many parents will "trade" extra custody time with the other parent for financial gain. Or, you may feel keeping your child away from the other parent is an easy way to hurt them or "pay them back" for something they have done.

Unless the other parent is deemed "unfit" for one reason or another, you should never keep your child away from your ex. By using your children to gain control or hurt the other parent, you are only hurting your children and your future co-parenting relationship.

Posting/Bashing

Finally, avoid posting your personal business on social media and bashing your ex to not only your children but also to friends and family. Remember that whatever is posted or said to another person may be used against you in a court of law.

Therefore, by ranting on social media about your marital problems and the stress of the divorce or belittling your ex to others, you will be hurting your own reputation, which could become a problem if your divorce goes to trial.

For more tips, contact a law office like the Law Offices of Jamie L. Hazlett & Associates.