On its face, divorce might seem straightforward. You and your spouse untangle your assets, figure out a parenting schedule, and go your separate ways. But the truth is that many marriage dissolutions are much more complicated. Agreements are unlikely to be reached on all divorce legal issues, and the tension and conflict that you face while litigating them can feel soul-crushing and overwhelming.
The good news is that you can and will get through this difficult time and come out stronger on the other side. But to do so, you’ll have to put together a strong divorce case. This includes gathering compelling evidence to support your position, but it also requires you to avoid making mistakes that could land you in a bad position.
What mistakes do you need to avoid in your divorce case?
It’s easy to make a mistake in your divorce case, and any one of them could lead to a ripple effect of negative outcomes. That’s why you need to be careful as you navigate your marriage dissolution. If you’re not, then you might end up making these common divorce mistakes:
- Misunderstanding the marital estate: Under Texas law, martial property is divided equally. That sounds simple enough, but the property division process can be complicated when assets are hidden or spouses claim that certain property is individually owned and therefore outside the property division process. Before heading into your divorce, then, you need a firm understanding of the marital estate, accounting for all assets and finding arguments to include and exclude assets as appropriate.
- Failing to create a budget: Your post-divorce financial positioning is going to look a lot different than it did when your marriage was intact. To have a better understanding of what you need out of your marriage dissolution in the way of property division and spousal support, you need to create a realistic post-divorce budget for yourself. If you don’t, then you could end up with an outcome that seems great at first but later turns out to fall well short of what you need.
- Openly dating: Sparking up a new relationship during your divorce can lead to tension that disrupts negotiations and litigation. This relationship might even jeopardize your ability to fight for the financial resources that you need. So, if you’re going to date, take it slow and try to keep it low-key until your divorce is finalized.
- Posting on social media: Taking to social media might be second nature for you, but it can have catastrophic consequences on your divorce. Your spouse might end up getting their hands on your posts and use them against you to argue that you’re a bad parent, that you don’t need additional financial resources from the marriage, or that you can’t be trusted to tell the truth in court. Remember, even innocent posts can be taken out of context and used as ammunition against you.
Don’t be your own worst enemy in your divorce
It can feel like you’re under attack when going through a divorce. Although that can be an incredibly stressful feeling, you shouldn’t allow your spouse to take control of the process and back you into a corner. Thorough preparation can help you avoid that outcome.
So, if you’re headed toward marriage dissolution, now is the time to think through your vulnerabilities and the evidence that you can use to support your position. With this thoughtfulness and thoroughness, you just might be able to walk away from your divorce with the positive outcome that you want.