You’d be hard pressed to find a person here in Massachusetts who considers the divorce process to be easy. That’s because a divorce can be a tumultuous time in anyone’s life, leaving them frustrated, emotionally drained and looking for help.
While many of our readers might turn to a skilled family law attorney for help as a way to ease frustrations and make the process go a lot smoother, there are other people who may want to approach the process on their own. Unfortunately, without legal guidance, there are some things you might do that can actually make your divorce more challenging.
Letting your emotions control you
Some partners become jilted by the fact that their spouse wants a divorce. When this happens, divorcing spouses have been known to lash out at their soon-to-be ex-spouse, perhaps even disagreeing during negotiations as a way to hurt the other person. This isn’t the best way to handle things though, experts say, because it creates unnecessary tension that hinders the divorce process.
Refusing to compromise
Hurt feelings can also make a person purposefully refuse to compromise during divorce negotiations as well. But as many experts will explain, this form of opposition can actually create more conflict, leading to prolonged negotiations because of disputes and disagreements.
Hiding assets or not giving all of your financial information
Some spouses might have concerns about how a divorce will affect their finances down the road, and with good reason. During the divorce process you must divide your assets, oftentimes leaving you with a smaller bank account for it. But hiding assets or failing to produce the correct financial statements during negotiations is not the right way to handle this fear because it only creates bigger problems for you down the road.
Not thinking about your child’s best interests
Divorces almost always become sordid affairs when parents make decisions that do not keep their child or children’s best interests in mind. Fighting over custody and visitation schedules can prolong the divorce process, giving way to more frustration in the end.
Not seeking legal counsel
As we said above, obtaining a lawyer can be useful during a divorce because they can help ease tensions and push negotiations along in a more constructive manner. Without their legal expertise though, you are forced to do this on your own, which may only add to your stress and leave you overwhelmed.
Source: The Huffington Post, “7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Divorce or Separation,” Cheryl and Joe Dillon, Oct. 28, 2014