The relationship between a husband and wife could get complicated at some point in their lives. While family lawyers will advise partners to do everything they can to avoid divorce, the good memories of some relationships can only be salvaged by divorce. That is not to say that divorces shouldn't be nasty. With proper understanding and willingness by both parties concerning the situation at hand, divorces can be made as civil as possible. For instance, early preparation is critical to achieving a less disruptive divorce process. This article provides steps most family lawyers would advise you to take when preparing for a smooth and civil divorce.
Separate Accounts -- Spouses tend to share many things during their marital life, and these include bank accounts, and credit card accounts, utility accounts among others. When you have joint accounts leading to up to the divorce process, you are opening yourselves for privacy and control issues. Financial information should be kept private from your spouse the moment you agree that a divorce is imminent. For instance, if you separate under tense circumstances, the chances are that an emotionally unstable partner might access your joint bank accounts and make a substantial withdrawal. It could have the effect of destabilizing you financially and mark the beginning of an ugly divorce.
File Financial Documents -- One of the most volatile aspects of a divorce process is the financial arrangement. It applies in particular if you have children. All involved parties seek the best financial arrangement that does not put a burden on them. Since you would be spending much time tackling financial obligations after the divorce, it is best for you to start gathering your financial documents, and the sooner, the better. Doing so will help both parties to have an independent idea of the family's financial state. If you do not have this information prepared early on and your spouse does, you would feel less empowered, which could affect a peaceful process.
Sort Living Arrangements -- Most people believe that the reason individuals look for separate living arrangements during a divorce process is animosity between each other. While there is some truth to the belief, the real reason is accommodation. Reaching an amicable decision on who will get to keep the marital home will go a long way in making the entire process less disruptive. Notably, a separate living arrangement could also calm tempers on either side and help the divorce process.
Talk to a family lawyer for more info.
Share20 July 2017
I love watching legal dramas from all different countries. I often call up my friend who is a lawyer to ask her about whether the cases I have seen on the latest drama are realistic or if they wouldn't happen that way in Australia. It's so interesting to me to see the changes that they make to make the stories flow more convincingly as well as the differences between the law in Australian compared to other countries. This blog is for other fans of legal dramas like me and has some tips on the best places to get real legal advice (hint, it's not on the TV!).