Sometimes, despite your best efforts in marriage, things do not work out and need to consider a divorce. There are many things that can push you to file a divorce such as infidelity, abandonment, abuse, and others. However, even if you and your spouse mutually agreed to separate, there are some things you must not do while the divorce process is ongoing. This will help ensure you get the best chance for a fair divorce settlement.
If you work with a divorce lawyer like attorney Ken Phillips, you will know that you should not do the following:
Losing your Cool or Fighting Dirty
A divorce can make your stress level spike uncontrollably and you might take actions that can negatively affect your divorce proceedings in court. Ensure you keep your cool when communicating with your spouse. Avoid getting verbally or physically abusive as this can make the judge or jury question your character. Too often, divorce proceedings become ugly, wrought with anger, and ridden with jealousy. But, keeping your calm and following your lawyer’s advice will prove the path is worth taking.
Using the Children
If you are thinking about turning your children against your soon-to-be-ex, think again. Manipulating kids and trying to convince them to pick you in a sole custody suit can be easily be detected by the court. If the court discovers that you are using this tactic, you could lose the battle which could mean getting limited access rights to your kids.
Concealing Assets
In terms of assets division during divorce, there is a tendency for one party to feel they are not getting a fair share of the marital property in the settlement. As a result, the spouse will try to hide assets from the court and their spouse. However, the risk of being caught is quite high especially with the availability of technology that lawyers can use to discover hidden assets. If you are caught, the judge can impose punishment. Penalties can include requiring you to pay attorney’s fees of the innocent party and having you get a smaller share of the marital assets.
Ranting on Social Media
Make sure to avoid the temptation of ranting and oversharing on social media during divorce. Whatever status updates and comments you post on social media can end up on the judge’s desk and lead to adverse order which could impact your rights to your kids.