There are plenty of makes you could make when seeking to divorce, but there are some that are more serious than others. Making those mistakes could put your right to child custody at risk if you have children, influence the distribution of your assets or even get you into trouble with the law.
Some of the most common mistakes people make seem small at the time but have a significant influence by the end of negotiations or a court date. Here are five things you should avoid doing if you want to protect yourself and your own best interests.
- Misusing drugs or alcohol
To start with, one of the worst things you can do is misuse drugs or alcohol during your case. If you have to go to rehabilitation or you are caught driving while impaired, your custody rights could be challenged.
- Showing off online
Another thing you shouldn’t do is show off. Putting pictures of a new car or new clothes online might be fun, but not if you’re trying to argue that you don’t have enough to pay spousal support or to support yourself without alimony. It’s a good idea to shut down social media until your case is done.
- Posting negative information on social media
Posting negativity about your spouse or case online can hurt you, too. It doesn’t make you look good in front of a judge if the other party shows that you’re slandering them or trying to pit others against them.
- Alienating your children
The next thing to avoid at all costs is saying negative things about your spouse to your children. This could be construed as alienating them, which could result in you losing some, or all, of your custodial rights.
- Hiding assets
Finally, don’t hide assets. Hiding assets is illegal, and you could face penalties if you’re caught. Tell your attorney about all your assets, so you can fairly negotiate with your spouse to distribute them in a way you’re comfortable with.
These five actions can all hurt your divorce case. If you have questions about what you can or cannot do, talk to your attorney before doing something that could negatively impact you.
