There are many steps that you can take to minimize the stress and drama of ending a marriage. For instance, you might want to hire a Pennsylvania attorney who handles collaborative divorce or who understands the importance of a timely settlement. It is also a good idea to be on your best behavior and to continue living in the family home until a settlement is reached.
Your every move will likely be scrutinized
During the divorce process, it is generally a good idea to do little more than go to work and spend time with your children or other family members. This will help to ensure that your lifestyle choices can’t be used against you during settlement talks or at trial. Furthermore, spending time with your kids can help to ensure that their needs are met during a chaotic time in their lives.
Why staying at home is important
In some cases, moving out of a marital home will make it harder to obtain the asset in a final settlement. If your spouse has a history of abusing you or your children, it may be possible to obtain an order removing that person from the house instead. It is important to remember that relocating to a new house or apartment could mean relocating your child to a new school district, which may cause more disruption.
Make a long-term budget
It isn’t uncommon for a person’s income to go down and expenses to go up after leaving their spouse. Therefore, it is important to be proactive when determining what you’ll need to do to maintain a reasonable style of living. Having an idea of what your finances will look like when your marriage ends can be helpful when negotiating the divorce settlement.
A family law attorney might be able to help you maintain possession of a marital home or other joint assets. He or she may also help you freeze joint bank or credit accounts so that your spouse can’t accumulate new debt or withdraw cash that you might have a claim to.
