Divorce strategies to defend against

Going through a divorce is one of the most stressful events in an individual’s life. Many couples strive for an amicable divorce, so they can stay friends and co-parent their children. However, that’s not always possible when couples are not on good terms, or if one spouse is suspected of cheating, lying, and/or hiding assets.

Some spouses employ divorce strategies that are vengeful rather than taking an amicable approach. These types of divorce strategies can result in unnecessary stress and pain for all parties, especially if children are involved.

Unfortunately, your expectations for an amicable divorce may not be the same as those held by your spouse. That is why preparing for divorce – having a plan ahead of time and understanding the steps involved – is critical when it comes to safeguarding your priorities from irreparable harm.

Don’t just take their word for it

Some common divorce strategies to watch out for include:

Denying and/or limiting access to information
Wasting shared assets
Stall and delay tactics
Making false allegations
Creating a conflict of interest
Refusal of child visitation
Refusal to support the household

There are divorce defense strategies to protect yourself from these and other shady divorce tactics.

If possible, make a plan prior to filing for divorce. Talk to a divorce attorney or other divorce professional to educate yourself. Pull any statements relating to your date of separation to show the balance of bank accounts, credit card accounts, and lines of credit. Make a record of all marital property, safeguard your personal papers, and make copies of important records.

In some cases, you might want to speak with an attorney about preserving your half of cash assets and opening a post separation bank account that your spouse cannot access. Talk to family members or good friends about how they may support you financially, emotionally or otherwise until your life stabilizes. Hopefully, the separation and divorce will not become adversarial. But even when it appears yours will be an amicable divorce, it may not be. If you agree to terms with your spouse on record and in writing be sure to take the extra step and have an attorney draft a Stipulated Order, signed by both spouses, and file it with the court. This assures that what you agreed to is enforceable by the court.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst

The good news is that in many cases couples can go through an amicable divorce; one in which both parties agree on certain terms such as custody of their minor children, the splitting of assets, and spousal support, to name a few.

If both individuals have committed to a more civil or amicable approach to divorcing, and are considering an easy divorce process or DIY divorce, especially if money is an issue, beware! Not having legal representation or legal guidance can end up costing much more overall. Common DIY divorce mistakes happen even with the best intentions.

At Green Giraffe Legal Services, we offer clients alternative divorce solutions, avoiding costly attorney litigated divorces. All our paralegals and legal assistants work with attorney supervision, no matter what level of client. Best of all you determine your future, not a judge.