If you are not happy in your marriage and have begun to think about a divorce, there are a few behaviors we strongly recommend against. One thing we do recommend is that you contact a family law attorney by reaching out to Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell at 909-482-1422. In the meantime, keep reading to learn about six behaviors we do not recommend.
-
Spending Money to Get Back at Your Spouse
-
Ranting About Your Spouse on Social Media
-
Detailing Bad Behavior on Social Media
-
Trying to Hide Assets
-
Hiding Anything
-
Moving Out of Your Home
It is common for a person who wants a divorce to try to get financial revenge by maxing out the credit cards before they file. This can backfire. While debt you and your spouse acquire during your marriage is generally marital debt that you are both 50% responsible for, your spouse’s attorney can ask the judge to examine your credit card statements. If they determine that you acted out of character and purposely ran up your credit cards, you could be on the hook for the entirety of the debt.
There is no way around it: A collaborative divorce is going to be much less stressful – and much less expensive – than a litigated divorce. If you go on social media and rant about your spouse, they are going to be much less likely to agree to a collaborative divorce.
Ranting about your spouse isn’t the only mistake you can make on social media. If you are going out drinking, are dating other people, or are making a big changes in your life, you should not post about this on social media. This could all be used against you when it comes time to finalize the divorce.
It is very common for a person who is starting to seriously consider divorce to decide that they should move some assets around in an effort to hid them. This is not a good idea. This is both unethical and unlikely to work. You and your spouse will likely both be working with attorneys who know what to look for and how to find it.
The truth is that while you may not want to make everything public knowledge during the actual divorce proceedings, you should tell your attorney everything. We can only represent you to the best of our ability if we know exactly what we are dealing with.
If you do not want the home, and you do not have children or do not want 50/50 custody, then you can move out. Otherwise, no matter how uncomfortable it is, if you are safe there then you should stay there. Judges do not like to make changes unless necessary so if you leave the house, a judge will be more inclined to allow your spouse to keep it. Likewise, if your children stay with your spouse, a judge will be more likely to keep that arrangement as-is.
The best way to prepare for a divorce is to talk to an experienced family law attorney. You can reach Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell at 909-482-1422 now to schedule your consultation.
