Divorce is never easy. It is an emotional and stressful decision to make, and the process can be even more so. With all the different aspects of your life being weighed and measured and examined and divided, you may wonder what you should or should not be doing throughout the divorce process. Of course, you should speak with you attorney at every step of the journey to ensure that nothing is left out, but there are a few divorce don’ts. Divorce don’ts are things to avoid do if you want to make a clean break with your divorce.
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Do not hide assets.
Seeing your hard-earned money or other assets get divided and given to your ex can be difficult. You may be tempted to try and hide some of those assets in order to keep them for yourself. But this can lead to serious legal ramifications. Do not do it. You are better off being honest and negotiating for your fair share in court.
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Do not neglect your finances.
With everything else you have going on, balancing a checkbook or keep a close eye on the bank account just is not the top priority. But a divorce can be quite expensive. Now is not the time to neglect your financial responsibilities. You owe it to yourself to monitor your financial affairs to make sure that you are not overextending yourself. Remember that once the divorce is final, you may not be in the same financial position you once were, so tighten the reins now.
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Do not vent on social media.
While it may feel cathartic to vent your frustrations on social media to your friends and family, do not do it. Anything you post online can potentially be used by your ex in court to damage your case. You are better off avoiding social media all together until after the divorce finalized.
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Do not get your legal advice from friends or family members.
Family and friends may mean well. They want to support you and see you come out on top. But the advice they give can never supersede the counsel of your divorce attorney. This is what you pay them for. Use them.
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Do not put your children in the middle.
No matter what happens, your children are not pawns in the divorce. They are not the messengers between you and your ex. They should not be relied on as quasi-therapists. Do not dump your emotional baggage on their shoulders. Now is the time to support and help them with their emotional needs. You and your ex need to work together to reassure them that they are not to blame for the divorce and that you both still love them.
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Do not forget to update your beneficiary.
Whether talking about a will or a retirement plan or bank account, more often than not, your spouse is listed as your beneficiary. After the divorce you will need to change your accounts and will accordingly. Do this as soon as possible so that you do not forget. You do not want it to get lost amidst all the other stressful things that are taking your brainpower at the moment.