Five Divorce Mistakes To Avoid

What are the five worst divorce mistakes people make? Avoiding these common errors and planning for divorce can improve your odds of getting a good outcome, as outlined in the article below.

The Five Worst Mistakes to Make in a Divorce

by Howard Iken - Tampa Divorce Attorney

1. Swing from the hip instead of doing some careful planning

There are so many things you can do to improve your chances of success in a divorce. Just as important, there are many ways to damage your chances. People make many decisions by random chance.

Wouldn't it be a great idea to do some pre-divorce planning? A visit with a divorce attorney, financial planner, and a custody advisor can make a huge difference in your results.

2. Send stupid, mean letters, text messages and emails to your soon to be ex

This may make you feel great, but will become embarrassing evidence later on. This also applies to anything posted on social media.

Attorneys are great at saving messages, massaging them, packaging them, and then presenting the result in court many months later. Don't provide the other attorney with an opportunity to embarrass you.

3. Fail to prepare financially

If you have some money, then squirrel it away. If you don't have any money, borrow some. If you cannot borrow money, get credit cards. You should consider selling things.

The goal is to build a war chest. We are talking about a chest of money or preparation that can pay for a lawyer, and sustain you for the coming hardships. Financial preparation can take the form of downsizing your expenses. Whatever you have the capability to do - do it now.

4. Quit your job and move out of town

This mistake is potentially devastating to your case. Not only did you destroy your source of income, but also you have put yourself in a position where you may be forced to move back by court order. Your income will be interrupted; your residence unstable, and even worse - you just committed a huge legal wrong.

5. Settle your case in a way that makes you unhappy - with the hope of changing it later

Your most important "bite of the apple" is right now, not later. When a court order is put in place it acquires an aura of correctness that other judges are reluctant to disturb. In other words: whatever you settle for now may have to last forever. Try for what you want now and you will most likely be happier in the long run. 

Howard Iken is the founding attorney of Ayo & Iken, one of the largest law firms handling divorce, custody, and other family law issues in the state of Florida.

As you can see, avoiding the common divorce mistakes involves being prepared for what's ahead.  Read through the following articles for more tips to help you get the best outcome in your divorce: