Accomplished Miami Lawyer Helps You Avoid Common Divorce Mistakes

Reliable, detailed guidance through every step of the legal process

Feeling trapped in a failed marriage can be agonizing, so it’s completely understandable if you want to divorce as quickly as possible once you are certain your marriage is beyond repair. But you need to keep in mind that any mistakes you make in haste will haunt you for a very long time. The point of getting a divorce is to clear away the past to focus on a more positive future. You can’t do that if you’re still burdened with the consequences of errors during the divorce process. To fully protect you, Rafool, PLLC provides reliable, detailed advice on divorce do’s and don’ts. We patiently answer all your questions and explain the process, the law, and the rules of procedure, so you know exactly where you stand, what you can and cannot do, and how to respond when an unexpected issue arises.

Mistakes to avoid before and during your Florida divorce

There are two major mistakes that parties to divorce make from which all other mistakes flow. These are:

  • Failing to control your emotions
  • Not bothering to consult an attorney

If you control your emotions, you can refrain from taking rash actions that are going to hurt your overall case. But, if you let anger get the best of you, you’re likely to lash out in a damaging way, such as:

  • Badmouthing your spouse to your children
  • Interfering with your spouse’s temporary custody or visitation rights
  • Pressuring your children to take your side in the divorce

All of these mistakes hurt your standing when it comes to child custody. A court is less likely to award custody to a parent who undermines the children’s relationship with the other parent.

If the divorce has you feeling overwhelmed or depressed, you are likely to make mistakes in judgment, simply because you don’t have the mental energy or focus. These mistakes include:

  • Not taking inventory of your assets and debts
  • Not creating an expense budget to see how much you need to live on
  • Not gathering detailed information on your children’s schooling, activities, and medical history
  • Hurrying through the process just to get it over with
  • Agreeing to a financial settlement or transfer of assets without considering the tax consequences.

Finally, if you are resentful toward your spouse or fearful of your future after divorce, you can make some serious mistakes, some of which are actually illegal. These include:

  • Failing to disclose assets, to hide them from your spouse
  • Deliberately reducing your reported income to pay less alimony or child support
  • Transferring assets to third parties to keep them away from your spouse
  • Running up credit card debt, thinking your spouse will have to pay half

All of these actions, if discovered by the court, will damage your financial outcome, because the court will penalize you on your support and property distribution orders.

All of this brings us back to the worst possible mistake that a party to divorce can make: doing anything without first consulting an attorney. It’s important to understand you’re not just hiring a lawyer to fix an existing problem; you’re also paying for advice to keep you out of additional trouble. When you proceed without an attorney, you proceed at your peril, so it’s essential that you follow these don’ts:

  • Don’t talk about your divorce to your spouse without your attorney present.
  • Don’t engage in any financial transaction beyond routine spending without consulting your attorney.
  • Don’t sign any agreement without having your attorney read it first.

An experienced Miami divorce attorney matters

Our experienced Miami divorce lawyers can help you avoid these mistakes, but only if you trust their advice and refrain from acting on your own. We’re here to protect you and to help you obtain the best results possible for a secure future.

To avoid mistakes with your divorce, schedule a consultation at our Miami office

Rafool, PLLC can steer your clear of common divorce mistakes and make the process work for you. For advice on proven divorce strategies, call us at (305) 567-9400 or contact our Miami office online to schedule a consultation.