The divorce process can be notoriously challenging. Even if you and your spouse agree it’s for the best, you’re likely to run into a handful of difficulties and stresses along the way.
While there’s no way of knowing what will happen during your divorce in Florida, there are steps you can take to prevent mistakes that could cost you time and/or money (while also adding stress to your life).
Here are five mistakes you need to avoid during the divorce process:
- Lashing out: Even if you have bad feelings towards your ex and become extremely frustrated with the process, it’s critical that you keep your cool. Neglecting to do so will only add more complications to the process.
- Don’t make any big decisions: For example, now is not the time to make a large purchase, such as a motor vehicle. Also, don’t take a new job in a different state or country. These types of decisions are best left for post-divorce.
- Don’t hide assets: It’s easy to believe you can hide assets to keep them from being divided, but it’s a risk you don’t want to take. If an asset is subject to division, bring it to light. Selling property, giving away property or simply hiding it is likely to cause more harm than good.
- Don’t violate any temporary visitation or custody arrangements: For instance, if your ex-spouse has temporary custody of your children, don’t attempt to violate this arrangement. Doing so will make it more difficult to secure visitation rights or custody in the future.
- Don’t put yourself on an island: In other words, don’t tackle your divorce alone. You can consult with an attorney to walk you through the process. You can lean on your tax professional to help you understand the impact on your taxes. And of course, you can turn to family and friends to help you through this difficult time.
These are the types of mistakes that you could easily make during the divorce process. Fortunately, when you’re aware of them in advance, it’s easier to avoid these mistakes as you take steps to protect your legal rights.