How A Family Law Attorney Helps You Through A Divorce

Posted on: 17 April 2019

When you have made the decision to divorce your spouse, a family law attorney is going to make the process easier. Even if you and your spouse are on good terms, the division of property can cause the two of you to start arguing. If you have children, dividing up parenting time often causes some stress as well. While you can file for a divorce and set up a temporary parenting schedule, you shouldn't sign anything that is permanent without having an attorney look it over for you. It is very difficult to try to change any aspect of a divorce once it is final, especially a custody arrangement.

Deciding What Is Yours

Property is either marital property or separate property when it comes to dividing up your assets and debts. When you and your spouse have purchased property together, this is marital property. If your spouse owned a home before you were married and you moved in with your spouse, this could be considered separate property if you never contributed financially to the household. An attorney will help you determine what is your own separate property and what you own together.

Establishing a Parenting Schedule

Parenting schedules tend to go 50/50, unless one party is not able to care for the children for any reason. As you are creating a custody arrangement, this is the time for you to bring up any concerns that you might have. Your agreement should discuss holiday schedules, vacations, and specify pickup and drop off times. The more specific you can be with your parenting schedule, the easier it will be to follow the schedule without an argument.

Mediation and Your Divorce

You may be obligated to go through mediation as part of your divorce. This means that the two of you will sit down with a mediator and try to work out a divorce agreement. You don't have to sign anything during mediation, and what you say in mediation stays there. If your ex then tries to bring up mediation while in court, this is not allowed. If you are in mediation, you can still talk with a family attorney for advice on how to manage your divorce.

Divorces are not easy. When you and your former spouse can no longer communicate effectively, your divorce can become much harder. A family law attorney will help you through the case, getting you the assets and child visitation you deserve.

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