Things That Could Cause a Divorce Delay
Did you know that the average divorce can take up to a year or more? If your divorce has gone on for more than 18 months, you might wonder how it’s possible that the legal process is even still moving forward. Our divorce attorneys at Thompson Law have gathered the top reasons we see divorce proceedings that stick around too long, and solutions so you don’t fall into the same pitfalls. So, know how to prevent divorce delay within.
Not Knowing What You Want
If you and your spouse are going to meet to settle your divorce agreements, make sure that before the meeting starts, each of you knows what his/her top priorities are. If you don’t know what you want out of your divorce, the negotiations and finalization process will take longer.
In order to make sure you know what your goals are when entering into an agreement, take some time to think about the most important things to you. When brainstorming, you’d do well to keep these things in mind:
- If children are involved, how should you two handle child custody and support?
- Do you wish to seek support from your ex-spouse?
- Anything in your joint property that you find personally valuable, even if it’s just in the sentimental sense.
- If more than one property is involved, how would you two like to divide it?
- Do you have any financial obligations or debts?
With all of this settled, you can get a better grasp of what you find valuable in your divorce and figure out what your overall goals are. Breaking things down into more manageable steps will help you handle this stressful time.
Representing Yourself
To some it might sound surprising, but people often make the mistake of representing themselves in divorce proceedings. Although you might think it will save money to represent yourself, there are certain things that only a lawyer can do. Since you are probably not an attorney yourself, the process of filing a divorce may be unfamiliar to you and forms that need to be filed may have been overlooked. You will need to take the time not only for personal negotiations and legal filing, but also for self-education on the divorce process.
To avoid all of this hassle, the best choice is not to go to law school and take the bar exam—but rather, hire an experienced divorce lawyer. A divorce lawyer will handle the legal issues surrounding your split from your partner, so that you don’t have to. The money spent on a divorce attorney is well worth it because you will save time, effort, and pain in the future.
Not Listening to Your Lawyer’s Advice
What’s the point in hiring them if you aren’t going to listen? Even if your emotions are raging over a brutal divorce or a rough custody battle, you need to take your lawyer’s advice to heart and try to follow it as best as you can. They’re there to help you, not just take your money and run.
Going to Trial for Problems You Should Mediate
You might not like to hear it if you’re in a bad place with your ex-partner, but mediation is a faster track to the finish line than litigation. It’s a lot less of a headache on your part, too, because you won’t have to prepare a case or present it to court. Try to compromise with your partner and come to some kind of agreement on things, because it’ll work out better for you in the long run, we promise.
Conclusion for Divorce Delay
If you’re falling into any of these patterns, call our divorce attorneys at Thompson Law today to schedule a consultation. We can assist you in developing a new strategy for the divorce proceedings and help to speed up the legal process.