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Avoid a Devastating Divorce! 3 Mistakes That Could Attract Problems You Hadn't Seen Coming

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If you have tried everything else to save your marriage in vain and divorce seems the only feasible solution, you need to handle it carefully. If you have some valuable assets, deciding who gets what can be difficult since everyone wants a proportionate share. Whether you had some valuable assets before you got married or you worked hard to acquire your assets after marriage, be careful how you handle them during the divorce process so you don't end up on the losing end. According to most divorce lawyers, some mistakes during divorce expose the spouses to problems they hadn't seen coming:

Keep Emotions Away

You will be tempted to be emotional when divorcing, but you should avoid it before it ruins the process. You will have guilt, jealousy, anger and regrets to deal with each day, but they shouldn't guide your actions. If you aren't able to control your emotions during the divorce process, you will hardly make the right decision at every stage. For instance, you shouldn't fight over property or assets because you don't want your spouse to get it or give away the non-marital assets or right to alimony to your spouse to evade guilt. Emotions will get thick sometimes, and you may want to make some decisions based on your feelings, but you should avoid it so the divorce process doesn't become nasty, expensive and nerve-racking.

Not Being Keen When Filling out the Financial Affidavit

As your divorce process begins, you are expected to account for all the assets and list them in a financial affidavit. If you fill out this document erroneously, correcting the mess might be quite expensive and painful for you. Any inaccurate information in your financial documents might make you lose some assets, including those you should have retained. You might also be responsible for your spouse's liabilities, and this could be a painful experience. However, a divorce lawyer will help make a complete liability and asset inventory. The assets you should account for don't just include the property, estate, vehicles and homes; they also include personal debts, retirement accounts and business debts.

Hiding Some Valuables or Assets

When most spouses with valuable assets agree to divorce, they get tempted to hide some so they don't have to share them. They transfer them to a relative or business partner or hide them somewhere else they find safer. Nevertheless, if your spouse's divorce lawyer discovers your dishonest moves, they might bring fraudulent charges against you. Hiding some assets will not only damage the credibility you have worked hard to obtain, but it will also influence how the judge rules your divorce case. You could also get hefty criminal penalties, and your partner could get a disproportionate share of the assets or estate they didn't deserve.

You shouldn't just know what to do when divorcing but also what to avoid. Sometimes, what you do wrong might influence the way your divorce case goes more than what you do right. The divorce process can be a complicated matrix for you, and that's why you should hire a divorce lawyer to help avoid expensive mistakes.


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