Divorce is already a hard enough situation to be in but resolving it should not be too complicated. You may need someone to help you in the process and make it as quick and easy as possible. The lawyer that you should get must be experienced and well-versed in family law-related legal services. You may want to hire a Dayton Ohio divorce attorney who can easily take care of your legal issues during your divorce process. Here are five things to guide you when you file for divorce.
- Consult with an attorney.
First and foremost, you must consult first with an attorney who can give you an idea on what to expect as you undergo the process of divorce. A lawyer can provide you with the topics you need to discuss with your spouse and the things associated with those topics for you to deliberate the facts of your case. You must determine if your case needs the direct involvement of an attorney such as when you come from an abusive relationship, or you need to protect yourself from a violent spouse. Also, if your spouse has legal representation, you might as well get yourself professional legal guidance, too, else you will find yourself on the losing end.
- Analyze financial status.
Check first if you have enough money to pay for legal fees and other expenses such as housing and other necessary costs you may incur during the divorce process. It is best if you can analyze you and your spouse’s incomes for the past six months to know if your plans are viable or you need more time to save up. This may also be the best time to review all the financial property such as stocks or business investments of you and your spouse for clarity.
- Determine parental custody for children.
During the divorce, parental custody of the children is always a big issue. Courts prefer equal decision-making responsibility of the parents towards the children, but if this situation is not possible, the court decides what serves the best interest of the child. Usually, the decisions are based on the physical and mental health of the child and the parents and each parent’s participation in taking care of the child’s needs in the past. It is also better to ask legal counsel regarding this matter, as different states have different approaches to settle custody for children of parents divorcing.
- Collect all necessary documents.
If divorce is not distressing enough, you also need to collect all the property documents you need to settle with your spouse. These documents include bank statements, tax returns, loan documents, insurance policies, wills and trust funds that you acquired as a married couple. You also need to produce the records of your separate properties such as inheritance. Allow yourself to be guided legally by your lawyer to make sure your best interests in financial terms are protected.
- Prepare an explicit representation of your terms with your lawyer.
It is clear that lawyers are made to be lawyers, to make comprehensible documents to be presented in court; unless you are an attorney yourself. An experienced divorce attorney will be able to present your case clearly using the proper language that will be best understood in court and in so doing, you may get the best possible settlement you can have. Experienced divorce lawyers can guide you through all the legal procedures involved in the divorce process knowing they are more well-versed in this field and possibly make the divorce process quicker.
Divorce is a stressful process to go through which can be both physically and emotionally draining. This is the time you may need all the help you can get from your family and friends. And probably an experienced divorce lawyer is the best help you can get to deal with all legal issues encompassing the divorce process. Hopefully, what you have read above will be a little help for you in going through this hard time.
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