7 Tips To Help You Prepare For & Get Through The Divorce Process

It can be overwhelming when considering divorce and facing the legal process, but there are steps you can take to help you through so you can begin to find new life and growth in your future.

1. Familiarize yourself with your state’s divorce laws (MN Divorce Laws)

2. Hire a competent and experienced attorney who protects you and your rights as well as respects your values and goals. Ask friends, family, and business associates for recommendations for divorce attorneys or search for “family law attorneys and lawyers” in your area. Find a lawyer who you feel comfortable with.

3. Before separating, make copies of all pertinent financial documents – keep copies for yourself and provide copies to your attorney:

    • Bank Statements and Account Numbers
    • Retirement Account Statements
    • Investment Account Statements
    • Deeds and Mortgage Documents for Any Real Estate You and Your Spouse Own, either Jointly or individually
    • Loan Documents: Car Loans, Student Loans
    • Credit Card Statements
    • Income Tax Returns h. Spouse’s Pay Stubs
    • Life Insurance Policies
    • Certificates of Title for all Vehicles

4. Refrain from any behavior that will reflect badly on you if you and your spouse go to divorce court. Dating during the divorce process should be avoided and left for after you have a final decree of divorce. Although most states have no-fault divorce laws and any dating you do can’t be held against you, it is still in your best interests to wait before seeking or engaging in new relationships.

5. Learn how to deal with any conflict you have with your spouse without anger and hostility. Coping with the divorce process is difficult but learning to respond with integrity and calmness will make the process less stressful for all concerned.

6. Divorcing Couples with Children

  • Take care of your children – put their needs first. Every parent has an obligation to his or her children to keep the divorce from causing harm.
  • Familiarize yourself with the different types of child custody and arrangements for parenting time and the legal consequences of each.
  • Talk to your children about your divorce in a way that keeps them from feeling responsible. Tell them you will always be there for them. It is not always true to say that “children are resilient” or “the children will bounce back.” Children are no more resilient than adults and when their parents divorce it can, at times, have long lasting negative effects.
  • The law in MN Statute § 518.157 requires parents who have children together and who are getting divorced to attend a certified divorce education program if they do NOT agree on custody or parenting time (visitation). Children might also be required to go to a class.

7. Plan, Prepare and Execute (PPE) – The Family Law attorney you choose should help you understand the divorce process and prepare you for the legal course of action that will be executed. Planning and preparation will make the process easier, although it may not feel easy.

Want To Know More About The Divorce Process In Minnesota?

>>The Divorce Process – How Long Does It Take? What’s Involved?

The Bottom Line – divorce takes patience, time, a ream of paper, a bottle of Tylenol and several boxes of tissues, but at the end of the process, you will be divorced.

Contact Divorce & Family Law Attorneys

No matter what your situation, facing divorce and going through the process will surely add stress and emotions to your life that you may have never experienced before. Your attorney can be a source of strength.

Contact Martin & Wagner, P.A. by e-mail or call 763-425-6330 to schedule a free ½ hour consultation with an experienced Minnesota divorce lawyer.

 

 

Free Half Hour Initial Consultation

763-425-6330

Stay Connected

rulefacebook   linkedin   googleplusrule