What to Avoid During Your Open Divorce Case

So, you have engaged or are searching for experienced divorce attorneys. When dealing with an open divorce case, you must think carefully about your conduct and how it can assist you in getting the outcomes you desire. Taking the right precautions and avoiding typical mistakes can distinguish between a smooth divorce process and a challenging one. Making these errors can cause severe issues and seriously damage your case. Consider these tips from our family law practice in Winter Park on what to avoid during your divorce.

Breaking Confidentiality

When speaking with divorce attorneys, your contact with them is confidential. Communicating this information to friends, relatives, your spouse, or anybody else can hamper your case. Furthermore, once confidential communications with your lawyer are transmitted to a third party, they are no longer shielded from disclosure. So while discussing your attorney's advice and responses to your spouse's activities with your mother, your siblings, and your book club buddies might be inviting, do not do it.

Mishandling Important Documents

In a divorce, there are many essential documents involved. Titles, property, insurance, etc., are all critical pieces of written information correlating to your case. Bring any questions regarding essential papers or property to your divorce attorney immediately. Destroying, changing, concealing, or wasting valuable documents like these may cause you to be punished in court. There is also a list of documents that the parties must exchange in all Family Court cases.

Incurring Debts

Make sure you avoid huge debts, expenditures, and liabilities throughout your case. This includes items like luxury clothing, holidays, or other indulgence items. The judge may deem these obligations irresponsible and damage your case. When a judge divides property, obligations, and liabilities, you may be forced to accept full responsibility for any unusual debts incurred during the case. Some counties have a direct order to safeguard property, meaning you may be sanctioned if you accept debt outside your average spending or sell a property without your spouse's permission.

Forgetting How to Speak with your Spouse

Our family law practice in Winter Park will tell you that contact with your spouse in an open divorce case is all about managing your behavior. Divorce is emotional. The other side can react emotionally and make statements to you that the Court can hold against them. You can't control that. What you can manage is how you talk to your spouse. If your communications are respectful and provide relevant information about any kids involved or settlements, the Court will have nothing to hold against you and will care more about how your spouse's contact is inappropriate.

We usually recommend communicating with your spouse in writing to record what was said and prevent misunderstandings. You can do that via text, email, or a parenting communication app. Remember that written communication can be misconstrued because there needs to be a tone to help understand the other parties' meaning. If your message appears unclear or could be taken two ways, rewrite it to ensure you get your point across calmly.

Avoid these things during your divorce case and call us today if you need the support of a family law practice in Winter Park. We are here for you!