Divorce is a complicated and often emotionally exhausting process. It is not an easy thing to through, even when it’s the right thing to do. Many people facing a divorce worry about whether the process will take a long time and whether there will be complications throughout. Unfortunately, there some complications may arise that no one could have expected. However, there are some steps people going through a divorce can take to try and make their separation as simple as possible.
Involve a Good Attorney Early
Building a solid legal team is an essential aspect of making a divorce run as smoothly as possible. Some examples of professionals someone going through divorce should contact include mediators, coaches, therapists, and family law attorneys. There are many aspects to divorce, and the best way to ensure every party is being treated fairly is by having professionals look over the case.
A quality divorce attorney from Orshan, Spann & Fernandez-Mesa can help anyone going through a divorce understand their options and show them the pros and cons of each option.
It is also a good idea for someone getting a divorce to ask their lawyer to meet with their ex’s lawyer as soon as possible. The majority of divorces end with a settlement, so having the legal teams of each party speak about a roadmap for the divorce can help it go more quickly.
Do Some Research
A person getting a divorce can empower themselves by being informed. This includes doing research about divorce laws in the state of Florida. It also includes gathering information about their unique situation and any foreseeable issues they can bring up to their attorneys as early as possible.
Define Your Goals
Anyone who wants their divorce to be smooth and cordial needs to establish some realistic goals for the process. When creating goals for a divorce, they should be separated into two main categories. These categories are the ones that are most likely to be impacted by the divorce. These categories are financial well-being and personal life.
Financial Well-Being
Having a clear picture of where their finances stand can help anyone going through divorce. Arguments over finances are one of the main causes for divorce and can also cause a divorce to become prolonged. Here are some steps to focus on gathering important financial information and finding financial stability before divorce:
- Gather financial documentation: It is important to have as much financial documentation proving income and assets as possible. This includes bank statements, credit reports, health savings account statements, proof of any inheritances, and loans. Be sure to change any logins for online banking accounts to a password an ex would not be able to guess.
- Create separate finances: Many couples decide to merge their finances when they get married. This can be beneficial for many reasons but complicates things if the marriage ends in divorce. Anyone in this position should open up their own checking account immediately and have their income deposited into that account. Creating boundaries to protect individual finances is an extremely important part of divorce. It is also important to have any credit cards or debit cards a spiteful ex has access to canceled and replaced. An angry ex can run the credit up, which will have to be paid back later.
- Create an emergency fund: It is important for a newly single person to ensure they have an emergency fund established. A divorce can create a lot of change and very quickly, such as the need for new housing and new forms of transportation. An emergency fund can help provide those necessities and take some pressure off of credit cards.
- Create a budget: Divorce is expensive on its own, but the added financial pressure of finding new arrangements can create significant stress for a newly independent person. This is a great time for someone in this position to create a budget based solely on their own income. Having a monthly budget can empower them by giving them a plan and easing some financial worry. The divorce can act as a fresh start for them to get their personal finances under control.
Anyone getting divorced can prevent potential complications by being willing to negotiate when it comes to the finances. This includes understanding they cannot set out to own everything without a lengthy and dramatic legal battle. Divorce involves give and take. A person who has a specific shared asset they need to have should plan to possibly give something up of equal value to get it.
Personal Life
Divorce can impact a person’s personal life in many different ways. It can change the dynamics with friends they share with their ex, may make them have to consider child custody and child support, and may cause people to view them differently based on stigmas. Some things a person facing divorce should consider and goals they can create for their personal life include:
- Caring for yourself: A divorce is stressful before, during, and after. Anyone going through should do their best to create some time to take care of themselves, physically and mentally. Many people find themselves experiencing feelings of grief once their marriage is over. It is important for them to remember that they are taking this step because it is necessary.
- Good behavior: Unfortunately, many people are placed under a microscope during the divorce process. Behaving out of anger or sadness during this time may give an ex-spouse leverage in court. A person in this situation should refrain from activity a judge may consider questionable. Instead, they should focus on their family and meet their own emotional and physical needs.
- Find support: A divorce support group can be incredibly helpful for people in this situation. It can help them foster a community of people who have shared or similar experiences, provide them with good advice, and give them an outlet to vent. Support groups exist as in-person meetings ran by professionals, but there are also online options and even groups on social media.
- Update important documents: Married people often leave things to their spouse or name them as power of attorney in their will. It is important for people getting divorced to update these documents as soon as possible. A will is legally binding and will be carried out as written, so a divorced person should be sure to remove their ex-spouse if they don’t want them to inherit anything.
- Consider the children: A divorcing couple with shared children will have to submit to a new custody and child support plan created by a judge. This can be a difficult and emotional process, and parents should speak openly with their children to figure out their desires for the future. Divorce can impact children emotionally, so finding support for them through counseling or a support group can be very beneficial.
A divorce is not the end of a person’s life, despite how difficult the process can be. Approaching the situation with optimism can help them view it as a new beginning instead of a painful and final ending. Working through the emotions and making concrete plans for the future can help a person heal.
We Can Help You
If you are going to get a divorce and need expert legal counsel, contact Orshan, Spann & Fernandez-Mesa today. We understand the difficult nature of divorce and will fight tirelessly on your behalf to ensure the process is carried out as fairly as possible. If you reach out to us because you are considering a divorce, what we discuss will be kept in strictest confidence. Our firm has the experience to handle divorce-related issues such as prenuptial agreements, fathers’ rights, child support, and more. Reach out today at (305) 853-9161 or online to schedule a consultation.
