Most common mistakes in mutual divorce cases

Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them: Bruce Lee

Good to see that you are sensible enough to handle your divorce proceedings gracefully. Though, you believe in maintaining dignity even at the time of separation, it is necessary to avoid certain mistakes that may crop up during amicable divorce cases.

1. Not disclosing correct financial information: Like it or not, finances play an imperative role in divorce cases. In order to ensure a hassle-free divorce proceeding, it is critical that both the partners should be honest and produce accurate information, such as marital assets and debts, in addition to giving a realistic budget to represent the marital lifestyle along with future projections for expenses.   

2. Letting emotions rule you: Let’s admit it - divorce is a roller coaster ride which is full of emotions, and it’s pretty obvious to have mood swings or feelings that run the gamut, from anger, sadness to grief and anxiety. After all, as per Hinduism, marriage is a sacred bond which is not limited to this life alone, as it extends across seven more lives. But when this bond fails to last even this life cycle, it is perfectly normal to be emotionally frazzled and distraught.
But nervous people often don’t hear what is said nor do they articulate well. Therefore, to reach an amicable agreement, it is indispensable to keep your emotions away from your negotiations. Instead of letting your emotions become a road blocker in your life, use them constructively to make good decisions. 

3. Setting unrealistic expectations: Many people enter divorce proceedings with unrealistic expectations of getting everything that they want, including their exaggerated demands. Since your kids, finances and property are in dispute, it is necessary to make your demands reasonable and focus on solving the probleminstead of expecting that you will get everything. 

4. Ignoring kids: If you think, divorce alone is difficult, add kids to it and you will have to face a new set of circumstances all together. No matter how desperately you want your divorce case to get over, keep your child’s interest beforehand. When you successfully put, your kids’ interest first, things become smoother for you.

5. Concealment of important facts from lawyer: Some people withhold information about their current and future financial plans even from their lawyers who are representing them. However, in reality, they are only fooling themselves. If you want your lawyer to win, disclose all the material facts. 

6. Considering ‘certain’ assets are safe: You might think that your bank account or property under your name is ‘safe’ from equitable distribution in the court, but you shouldn’t be so certain. The rule is simple—nothing is safe. As per the law, both the partners are entitled to get some share of anything acquired during a marriage. For instance, if one spouse has a vast range of superbikes, the other spouse will be entitledto a share in the property, even if that spouse has never taken any interest in bikes before. Though, inheritance and premarital properties are considered separately, the court will ‘commingled’ those assets as well, if you have used marital assets for making improvementson an inherited property. 

7. Announcing your divorce on social media: Your announcement on social media accounts entail damages which are irreversible. Remember, anything negative you post about your partner will make that person less likely to compromise, which means a longer process and more expenditure on lawyers and a lesser chance of getting favorable results. Even if it was a mutual decision to file a case, your one negative post can make it tough.

The worst part of a divorce is that you have to go through it all without that person who used to be your counselor, friend and soulmate. It is difficult to ‘prepare’ for divorce and avoid all the above listed mistakes if you were completely dependent on your partner for financial matters. Thus, many divorcing couples, even if it is amicable, have to bear a heavy cost, measured in terms of time, money and stress. Therefore, it makes complete sense to go for an experienced divorce lawyer who will become your torchbearer and offer the following benefits:

• Backed with good knowledge about matrimonial laws, a divorce lawyer makes it certain that a person gets everything that he/she deserves
• Divorce itself is a stressful situation and by hiring a good divorce lawyer, it is possible to alleviate the stress of managing everything by own
• By hiring a divorce, it is feasible to avoid paperwork or other issues that could otherwise delay the divorce proceedings
• A divorce lawyer can help you avoid mistakes, like over or underestimation of the asset value, forget to cover credit card debt, etc.; which otherwise could cause financial harm in the future

How to Search a Good Lawyer for Divorce?

There are many ways through which you can find a good divorce lawyer for your case. Though, in our country, relatives have a higher say, the final decision should be taken by youon the basis of your personal comfort.

It is feasible to approach a civil lawyer through any of the below ways:

• Personal Contacts or Reference
• Visiting the court premise to find a lawyer
• Resorting to online portals, like LawRato

While, the above two ways are time-taking process in which it is hard to keep your personal life and divorce proceedings private, the last one, i.e., internet mode is more apt for the cases like divorce.

Benefits of finding a divorce lawyer online

No matters where you are— at home or office, you can find a good divorce lawyer after proper checks. As all the lawyers’ details and their client reviews are available in the virtual world, you can easily know about their services, read reviews, and connect with their previous clients to seek their feedback.

Moreover, portals like LawRato offer free legal advice from High Court and Supreme Court lawyers. Do you have any query? Ask a free question and choose your lawyer a.k.a ‘legal friend’ in a few clicks of your mouse.

Conclusion

Remember, navigating through a divorce or separation process can be challenging for you, but there is no need to make it a disaster. Keep calm and find a good divorce lawyer online to ease your journey and avoid any of the above listed mistakes.