I was recently involved in a car accident. Unfortunately, since it was my first accident, I was scatter-brained and anxious. What I did not realize at the time was that the actions you take immediately after the accident can affect a personal injury case and the outcome of that case. I wanted to find a way to share my experiences and mistakes with other. Since the Internet is so popular, I figured this would be a great way to do so. While you likely aren't planning on being in an accident soon, if you are, hopefully you remember some of the tips I share on this website.
Yvonne Russell
As you and your spouse attempt to deal with contentious issues in court, it can be difficult to keep your eyes on the main goal. Divorce is, at its heart, a legal act, but that doesn't mean that emotions are not at the forefront. Unfortunately, dealing with the issues of a contested divorce emotionally can only result in a negative experience for everyone. Read on for some tips to help ensure that your time in divorce court goes smoothly and is less stressful than you might have thought.
Try mediation. Some family court systems now require a warring couple to attend mediation before they can set foot in a courtroom, and with good reason. This method of dealing with contentious issues could allow you to skip the courtroom altogether. The best thing about mediation is that it can also be employed to resolve issues once you do begin to work things out in court.
Try collaborative divorce. While this type of divorce does involve mediation, it's really an entirely different take on what is usually an adversarial proceeding. To use collaborative divorce, your attorney must be on-board, since the two parties and their attorneys are expected to work together to resolve issues.
Protect your children. No matter how hard you might try, your children will be affected by your divorce. You should not, however, consider allowing them to view their parents in divorce court. Even older children will be traumatized by the proceedings, so arrange care for them. If they do end up wanting to testify about a child custody matter, it will be done in closed chambers and will far less disrupting.
It's not a smooth event. Anytime you are dealing with the court system, you are also dealing with attorneys and judges and their own schedules. This means that what might have taken a few weeks to resolve could end up taking months instead because of postponements and delays. That is another reason to consider mediation instead.
It's not about fault. Every state now offers some version of a no-fault divorce, and unless your spouse has exhibited extraordinarily bad behavior, you should just plead irreconcilable differences. There will be enough contention over child custody, property and debt division, and visitation to go around without having to assign fault. Divorce is not about meting out punishments for wrong-doing, so make it more about ensuring that you don't get the short end of the financial stick instead.
Speak to a divorce attorney at a law firm like Kleveland Law to learn more about divorce court.