What Are The Top Divorce Mistakes I Should Avoid?
As attorneys who work with clients in helping them get through divorce every day here in Florida, we regularly walk through the most important mistakes you want to avoid while you are going through divorce. Below, we’ve discussed some of these mistakes:
Stay Quiet on Social Media
Be careful about social media—boasting about a raise, or an expensive trip, can directly affect your divorce negotiations and marital settlement.
Gathering Paperwork
Make sure that you get all of your relevant paperwork together before it’s too late. If you find that you need information or documents later on down the road, you may end up having to ask an uncooperative ex for those documents.
This information includes the following, at a minimum:
- Account information and balances for all important financial accounts;
- Any receipts or other documents that prove amounts paid for important assets, such as the family home;
- Any receipts that document money put into important assets, such as home improvements; and
- Any social security statements showing current and future earnings.
This is not only necessary for current negotiations, but so that you and your attorney can plan for which assets might be worth more in the future versus today, as well as any current and future tax consequences that should be taken into account. For example, you may eventually be able to claim your ex’s Social Security benefits, and a Roth IRA is worth more than a traditional IRA because it will not be taxed, stock investments may trigger big tax bills in the future, etc.
Close Joint Accounts
Closing joint accounts is another crucial step you should take early on, regardless of whether one partner has promised to pay off a certain debt. If your name remains on an account, or they remain on your credit card as an authorized user, you are liable. Close joint accounts, removed any authorized users other than yourself, and transfer any agreed-upon debts to the individual who plans to pay them—in that one individual’s name only.
Be Wary Of Quickie Divorce Services
Some people choose to forego working with an attorney and instead turn to a divorce service—sometimes online—instead. Unfortunately, a number of these businesses can turn out to be fraudulent, as was the case for some who turned to a service called “Simply Divorce” recently. For many of these services, not a single attorney is on staff.
Contact Our Florida Divorce Attorneys
Divorce is anything other than easy, but working with someone who is experienced and has your best interest in mind—who can help you avoid pitfalls that can affect you for the rest of your life—is an absolute necessity. Contact our Orlando divorce attorneys at Arwani Law Firm, PLLC today to find out about our divorce services and the clients we’ve helped.
Resources:
cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/simply-divorce-service-twila-emery-bourgeois-moncton-lawyer-1.4995743
nasdaq.com/article/5-divorce-mistakes-that-can-cost-you-cm1091052
https://www.arwanilawfirm.com/what-assets-should-i-make-sure-i-do-not-forget-about-in-divorce/