What Divorce Lawyers Want Their Clients to Know

Divorce is difficult for everyone, with emotions ranging from anger and hurt to fear and resentment to anxiety and depression. Yet if your happiness, well-being, or safety is on the line, getting divorced is worth it. Before you start the process, understand these eight things divorce lawyers want their clients to know.

1. Being reasonable makes the process faster and cheaper. You may disagree with your soon-to-be-ex about who should get which assets. But the $20 painting you bought together on your honeymoon isn’t worth months of your time and hundreds of dollars to argue over it. If you can set your hostility and spite aside, the process will go more smoothly, and you’ll move on that much faster.
2. Marital contributions are about more than just income. A higher-earning spouse may insist that their partner did not contribute fairly or deserve to get 50 percent. However, the court will consider other contributions, such as raising children or managing the home, when determining a fair split.
3. Cheating may not affect the outcome. Divorce is largely a no-fault system, so your case is not about proving your spouse cheated, lied, or was a terrible person. However, a spouse’s use of marital money to buy gifts, dinners, hotel rooms, or vacations as part of an adulterous relationship may affect the alimony you receive.
4. Divorce attorneys aren’t magicians. Your lawyer can’t snap their fingers and make something happen overnight. They also won’t be happy if you call at 3:00 am asking to be bailed out of jail because you ignored a restraining order.
5. Don’t hide things from your attorney. You may not be proud of certain things you’ve done in your marriage, but it’s always better to disclose everything to your attorney that might come up in court.
6. Don’t try to get out of child support. Lawmakers, judges, and lawyers take child support very seriously. If you think you have a good reason for having your payments lowered, feel free to ask, but chances are, you’ll need to pay the court-ordered amount.
7. Don’t try to deny visitation rights. Courts rarely award full custody to one parent and zero visitation rights to the other. Knowing this going into your custody case helps you have reasonable expectations.
8. Getting divorced won’t solve all your problems. You may be eager to rebuild your life after divorce, but first, you must reassess your finances and lifestyle, adjust your will, and possibly sell your house. The faster you take care of these related tasks, the sooner you can move on.

If you’re facing an impending divorce, turn to Richards & Richards Law Firm in Ogden, UT. We have over 30 years of experience practicing divorce law, and we’ll stand with you every step of the way. Whether you’re splitting from your spouse over desertion, adultery, felony conviction, or irreconcilable differences, we’ll fight to get you the settlement and child custody you deserve in your divorce case. To schedule your free consultation, please Contact us at (512) 461-4836.