Dos and Donts in Family law
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Know the Dos and Don’ts When It Comes Your Time to Divorce
Going through a divorce can be one of the hardest things you will do in life. Whether you are rather unknown or a celebrity, it can be upsetting to see your life changing rather drastically.
That said it is important that you keep a level head in this. If you fail to do so, all you’ve worked for could blow up in your face.
When your divorce case is not as simple as you may have hoped it would be, reaching out to a Seattle family lawyer is better than trying to go it alone.
So, is it time to make that phone call today and get the proceedings going?
Let a Seattle Family Law Attorney Go to Work for You
In working with a family law firm in Seattle, keep the following things in mind when it comes to dos and don’ts involving your divorce:
Among the dos –
- Remain calm – As difficult as it may be at times, do your best to remain calm during this period in your life. Some divorces go rather quickly and others can drag on for what seems like a long time. If you get upset easily and even lash out at your soon-to-be ex, it can make things harder on you.
- Be organized – Along with being calm, do your best to be organized. This means having all your necessary documents (financial records and more) ready to be viewed. If your paperwork is scattered about and a mess once you do find it, getting all the proper documents filed will be much harder.
- Know what belongs to you – If you’re lucky, you and your soon-to-be ex will not squabble over which possessions in the home belong to which person. That said you want to document (take photos or videos) of what you know to be clearly yours and what you plan to keep following the ending of the marriage.
- Know your rights – Last, be sure you know your legal rights. Given how upsetting a divorce can be, one can lose their train of thought. If you are entitled to Social Security benefits, retirement payouts and more through your soon-to-be former husband or wife, make sure you emphasize that.
Among the don’ts –
- Staying put if not financially feasible – In the event you’re not going to be able to afford the payments on your home, condo or apartment once your ex leaves, don’t necessarily stay there. While the residence may hold some sentimental value to you, the last thing you want is getting into a financial bind trying to pay for it.
- Not knowing your health insurance care moving forward – When two people split in a marriage, one party may have depended on the other for their healthcare. If this was the case, make sure you find your own care moving forward. The last thing you’d want is having a medical issue and not have the proper coverage.
- Trashing your soon-to-be ex on social media – Finally, do not make the mistake of trashing your husband or wife on social media. As tempting as it may be to lash out on Facebook or other such social sites, it does you no good. In fact, if you end up in front of a judge, he or she may look unkindly on such posts in reviewing your divorce.
Whenever filing for a divorce, having the right family law attorney on your side is a good idea.
Along the way, be smart about how you act during this time.