Divorce is never easy. Even though the outcome can ultimately be positive, divorce is a life-changing, costly event that takes a lot of your time and even more of your emotional energy. That said, by avoiding some common divorce mistakes, you can make you and your family’s life much simpler, and your legal process much less complicated.
If you know your marriage is past the point of recovery, avoid making these mistakes when you file for divorce in Texas.
Don’t Abandon and Split Up Your Family
It can be extremely tempting to just storm out, take the kids, and spend a few nights at a motel when your marriage is crumbling. But when you’re about to file for divorce, especially if children are involved, it’s best to lay low and keep your cool. In the state of Texas, custody battles will always revolve around the child’s best interest. If you have been absent or reckless in taking your child out of the home, you better have some strong evidence to back up your reasons. Otherwise, your spouse now has a stronger case as to why they are the more suitable guardian and the judge might be more likely to share their view. Leaving the home recklessly can also be a very expensive mistake.
Don’t Leave Financial Documents Behind
Abandoning your home and leaving behind any financial information is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make in a divorce. Leaving behind documents such as bank statements, tax returns, titles or anything related to your home or vehicle complicates the discovery process and weakens your ability to argue your case. If your spouse and their attorney have access to these documents first, it allows them to build a much stronger case.
This can make the final divorce much more expensive in both the short and long term.
Don’t Act Crazy
Divorce is hard. Don’t make it harder by losing your cool and acting like a maniac. Any drunken texts, public fights, angry outburst or threatening phone messages can and will be brought up during your divorce, and all are a surefire way to lose favor with the judge. Erratic behavior weakens your claims against your spouse and changes the way a judge or jury will perceive you. Given that your child’s best interest is at the center of any custody battle, threats and outbursts are likely to hurt your chances of an ideal outcome in court.
Don’t Wait to File for Divorce
If you know that divorce is inevitable, don’t twiddle your thumbs and let your spouse make the first move. Gather your relevant documents and assets, then call a lawyer to start building your case. Your spouse will be the one having to counter your claims and may be more likely to retain a fair agreement in the final proceedings.
Get an Aggressive Houston Divorce Attorney in Your Corner
Who you hire to handle your divorce is perhaps the most important decision you’ll make during the whole process. It’s vital that you hire a respectful attorney with a strong legal background. Someone who can craft you the best possible case and ensure your fair treatment in court.
As the divorce attorney for Thiessen Law Firm, Taly Thiessen knows how to build an effective courtroom strategy to protect the things that matter most to her clients. Just because the marriage didn’t go right doesn’t mean your assets should be destroyed in the process. If you’re ready to file for divorce, contact Taly today to schedule your consultation.
