Hire a Lawyer
The first step after you decide to move forward with your divorce is hiring a lawyer who will do the necessary paperwork and documentation and work with your ex’s lawyer to arrive at an agreement. If you and your ex-spouse cannot resolve marital issues and are locked in disagreement or disputes, you will end up battling it out in court. This is where having an experienced attorney benefits you, as they are experienced in the courtroom and can help you navigate the waters of divorce. For example, co-parenting issues such as visitation schedules or financial disagreements about a child’s education may come up in court. If these issues are debated between you and your ex-spouse, it is your lawyer’s responsibility to address and tackle these issues early on. If not addressed early on, you run the risk of not having enough time to hire the right professional support like a co-parenting counselor or a special master to help address such issues that are a prime source of disagreement. You need to exercise proper judgment and do your research before hiring a lawyer. Choose the right one for your case. Make sure you share as much information about your case with your attorney, as this will give you the best chance of a favorable outcome.
Patience. You’ll need a lot of it.
Divorce is a painful and stressful legal process. Because of this, a lot of people just want to get it over and done with as soon as possible without using their better judgement and running the risk of losing the battle to arrive at the best long-term outcome possible. It is understandable that you just want to end the pain and struggle to move forward with your life. Many times, people in your immediate circle like family and friends may egg you on and influence you to just get on and out of it all ready, even if it is not in your best interest to do so. Feelings are usually uncomfortable, especially anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and loneliness – these feelings are painful. And yet, they are teaching us to stop and listen to our inner voice, our gut instinct. Do not run away from these feelings. Otherwise, you’ll run around in circles and delay the healing process.
Do not rush your divorce. Rushing your divorce is one of the worst things you can do. Instead, think carefully about your options and the outcome and repercussions in both the short and long run. Remember, this is your life and the life of your family. Remember that once the divorce papers are signed, it would be very difficult and expensive to change or amend any of the terms in it. Sometimes, it could be impossible, too. This information is a lot to grasp and handle. But the takeaway here is that with the right strategy, the right lawyer, and with a lot of self-awareness, motivation, and support, you will be more equipped and less burdened to move forward to a new life that awaits you.
When moving forward with your divorce, remember that the strategy a friend may have used in the past may not be right for you. No two situations are identical, so you want to make sure that you factor in what makes your case unique. When you work with Petrelli Previtera, LLC, our highly-qualified family law attorneys will help you create a strategy focused on meeting your main goals for divorce. Take the first step and schedule your consultation today.
