How To Protect Yourself and Your Children During A Divorce

couple filing divorce papers

Dealing with divorce can be difficult! Untangling your life from your separated spouse can elicit unease, especially if you have to wonder about the welfare of yourself or your children. In order to eliminate unnecessary pain and protect your physical body, personal property, prosperity, and parenting permissions from potential pitfalls, take these precautions!

Safety

If your ex-partner may potentially harm you or your children through harassment or domestic abuse:

  • Contact the Authorities 

As soon as your spouse takes any steps toward an abusive action, don’t allow your shock to stop you from calling the police. Contact them as soon as possible to provide physical protection to you and your children, so they can’t cause damage or commit domestic violence. 

  • Request a Restraining Order

Consider putting in a request for a restraining order to protect you and your offspring from your spouse. This injunction will legally compel them to leave you alone, limiting communication and contact by court order. It can also forbid them from wielding a firearm, and from frequenting your workplace or place of worship. 

Belongings

If you are witnessing behavior that makes you worried about having to go to war for your belongings, don’t wait for the worst, instead:

  • Protect Private Property

Personal property, especially if it is irreplaceable, should be put away and safeguarded. It is smart to store these in a place away from your shared residence, so they really are secure. In the case of common or community possessions, this is irrelevant, and there are alternative ways to protect your investments in those assets.

  • Inventory Marital Assets

Ask your partner to pull all your assets and property out with you as soon as possible, taking inventory of everything that is inter mutual. It is a good idea to use a video camera to verify the validity of this inventory in the future. If you do, utilize the date function so you can display this during your divorce if anything disappears in the coming days.

  • Custody

If the possibility of peacefully co-parenting with your previous partner is out of reach, retain the power to provide for your children properly by:

  • Remain at Your Residence

Making an immediate move with your children may impact the management of your custody. If this is hard to maintain, you might mediate it by managing an alternating ‘time-sharing’ agreement, allowing each parent to spend time in the home individually. A tranquil atmosphere is important to your children’s best interest and is taken into consideration by the court.

  • Avoid Negativity and Alienation

Behaving badly is bound to bring down your chances of civil custody. Your demeanor is detrimental to your children’s mental state during a divorce, so don’t use damaging language or start shouting. If you spout negativity about your spouse to your offspring, it may be considered ‘alienation of affection’ and be held against you. 

  • Finances

If you don’t feel that your finances will be secure throughout your separation proceedings, foster personal prosperity by:

  • Cancel Joint Accounts

When you decide to divorce, you don’t want your spouse’s spending to develop any additional debt on your account. To stop this, split the shared expenses and cancel joint credit cards; just don’t do it without telling them first. Your foremost drive should be diplomacy.

  • Reduce Expenses

If you are concerned about being in lack after being alone, as well as lawyer fees, rid your residence of any unnecessary utilities and put an end to extra expenses. Save your money for more important matters and put a stop to your subscriptions to put some prosperity in your pocket. 

  • Legalities

If the legalities of your divorce are daunting, look to deftly defend yourself in law to dawn a new day by:

  • Ask an Attorney

As you look forward, a lawyer can shed light on the legalities lurking within your partner’s proposed papers and offer a more opportune outcome. Don’t sign any documents before asking an attorney, so they can help you harness the most hopeful agreement. 

  • Don’t Lose Documents

In lieu of imminent disorganization, important documents that are integral to your livelihood, including both personal and joint records, should be located and safely stored so they are not lost. To avoid a disastrous divorce, make multiple copies of certificates that indicate joint ownership, just in case.

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