Divorce is a stressful experience. Your sense of stability disappears, your life becomes a series of arguments, negotiations, and agreements, and there are both losses and gains. It’s often an emotional rollercoaster, and keeping your emotions in check will not be easy. That said, the more you can remain calm and in control, the less likely you are to make costly mistakes.
Today, we examine four mistakes that people make when getting a divorce and how you can avoid them.
- Don’t let your family and friends influence you too strongly. It’s only natural that your family and friends will feel strongly about your divorce. They will probably be hostile toward your spouse and give you advice that’s borne out of that hostility. They’ll recount other divorces and use those examples to suggest courses of action for you to take. But what worked for other people may not be right for you. Keep a clear head and know what you need. Ultimately, you are the one that must live with the impact of your decisions, so don’t let others force your hand.
- Don’t rush it. Once you make the decision to get divorced, you will probably want to get the whole thing over with as soon as possible. But resist the urge: this is a major life change, and bad decisions can have a lasting and negative impact on your future. Get professional advice from a lawyer and accountant regarding legal and financial matters. Before signing any papers, read and understand the contents, and resist the urge to settle quickly if the terms are not favorable or fair.
- Don’t pay for more legal help than you need. Depending on your priorities and on the complexity of your case, you may not need a traditional “full service” divorce attorney. At Pacific Cascade Legal, we offer a variety of “Self Service” divorce support packages, in which you’ll manage your own case, but have access to experienced Portland family law attorneys for the legal guidance you need. This can be an extremely cost-effective solution. Click here to learn more about our Self Service divorce options.
- Don’t compromise in order to please your spouse. If you’ve decided to divorce, it’s important to make the best possible decisions for your own future and for that of your children if you have them. It may be tempting to give in to demands from your spouse in order to avoid an unpleasant confrontation – but when you consider that your entire life will be impacted by your settlement conditions, it’s rarely worth it.
Questions about the divorce process? We’ve got answers. Give us a call at 503.227.0200 today!