Going through a divorce is difficult under the best of circumstances. You can make things a little easier by paying close attention to the advice that your divorce lawyer provides. Choosing to follow the counsel will prevent situations from arising that slow the divorce process and make things worse for you and your soon to be former spouse.
1. Tell Me Everything
One of the first things that your new divorce lawyer will tell you is to tell everything about the circumstances leading up to the divorce. The goal is to ensure that your legal counsel already knows about any details that the counsel for the opposing party may bring up. Remember that everything you tell the lawyer is privileged information and will only be used if necessary. In addition, don’t feel embarrassed to share details that may be somewhat delicate. Rest assured your lawyer has heard it all in the past and is not interested in passing any type of moral judgment on you.
2. Don’t Discuss the Details With Others
Your lawyer is likely to tell you that the less said about the divorce proceedings to others the better. You never know how some seemingly innocuous bit of information can be transformed into something troublesome by the time it makes the rounds of gossip mongers. Unfortunately, that embroidered bit of information could become a point of contention in the divorce proceedings.
For the sake of keeping things as simple as possible, say as little about the divorce as possible. If you must say anything, keep it general and never include derogatory remarks about the other party.
3. Be Mindful of Where You Go and Who You See
You also need to be mindful of your conduct while the divorce is underway. Expect the divorce lawyer to suggest that being seen in certain places or in the company of certain people could complicate things. If that’s the case, you would do well to make sure you are not seen in any circumstances that could be used against you at some point in the divorce proceedings. The Matrimonial Home website has more relevant information and resources available on their website.
4. Be Prepared to Compromise on the Division of Assets
One of the things your divorce lawyer will seek to do is ensure that the settlement provides you with an equitable share of the marital assets. Keep in mind that it’s rare for anyone to get all the assets they want during a divorce. Your lawyer will advise you to be somewhat flexible and be prepared to let some assets go in order to maintain ownership of others.
That means if you really want to keep the family home, be willing to give up the summer cabin. Some give and take on your part will likely help the negotiations move along a little faster, and hasten the day when both parties will be free to move on to the next phase of their lives.
Remember that your lawyer is there to protect your interests in any way current laws allow. Listen closely to the advice offered and follow it to the letter. Doing so will make it easier to settle this chapter in your life and prepare for better things to come.