Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Divorce
A divorce will be one of the hardest things you will ever experience. Dealing with your marriage ending is difficult enough, but you may lose time with your children, and even your home. Divorce is mentally and emotionally taxing, and this causes many people to make mistakes which hurt them during their case and post-divorce. Below, our Houston family lawyer outlines the most common mistakes made, so you can avoid them.
Using the Process to Get Back at Your Spouse
Feelings of anger and resentment are common during the divorce process. Some people become so resentful that they use the actual divorce process to lash out at their spouse. They cause unnecessary delays to drag the case out, they refuse to negotiate fairly, or they engage in other tactics that make the process much harder.
The more disputes you have in your case, the longer and more expensive your divorce will be. Additionally, if your main goal is just to get back at your spouse and the outcome is not favorable towards you, it could lead to years of resentful feelings at a time when you should be focusing on healing.
Alienating Your Children from Your Spouse
Parental alienation is extremely detrimental to children. Even if you do it unintentionally, speaking badly about your spouse in front of your children is not helpful. It will hurt your children, and it will hurt your case. The family law courts in Texas presume that it is in the child’s best interests to maintain a healthy relationship with both parents. If the court learns that you tried to interfere with the relationship between your spouse and children, it will likely hurt your child custody case.
Being Dishonest
Of all the things you could do to hurt your divorce case in court, being dishonest is the biggest. If you lie while under oath, attempt to hide marital assets, or are otherwise dishonest, the judge will not look favorably upon you. It will cause you to lose ground in your divorce case, and it could change the outcome of decisions that have already been made regarding property division and child custody. You may even face fraud charges. Always be honest when filling out official court documents, when testifying, and in any affidavits that are created.
Respect Your Spouse’s Privacy
Everyone deserves privacy during the divorce process and it is important you respect your spouse’s. Do not spy on them, scroll through their social media profiles, or try to keep tabs on them. If you and your spouse are already living separately and the children spend time with them, it is okay to ask what they did while they were away. However, keep your questions focused on the activities of the children, and not what your spouse is doing or how they are spending their time.
Breaching the privacy of your spouse could hurt your case in court. Additionally, if you access your spouse’s digital accounts, such as their email, you could be violating federal privacy laws, even if you know the password.
Not Understanding Temporary Orders
At the beginning of the divorce process, you or your spouse may file temporary orders. For example, you may need a temporary alimony order until the issue is decided on if your spouse earns a much higher income and you cannot support yourself financially. It is critical to understand any temporary order that is issued so you know what is expected of you. Temporary orders are court orders and if you violate them, you will face serious consequences. If you do not understand a court order, ask your lawyer to explain it to you.
Take on New Debt
Some people rush out to make big purchases when they are going through the divorce process. They may purchase a vehicle, thinking that their spouse will be responsible for half of the debt due to the fact that Texas is a community property state. However, taking on significant amounts of debt can hurt you during the divorce process. Family law judges see through these tactics and will likely hold you responsible for repaying the debt, which you may or may not be able to afford. Additionally, the judge could use your attempt against you when dividing your marital property.
Our Family Lawyer in Houston Can Help You Avoid Mistakes
People make many common mistakes when going through a divorce but our Houston divorce lawyer at Ramos Law Group, PLLC, will ensure they are not made in your case. If you are getting a divorce, call us today or contact us online to schedule a consultation and to learn more about how we can help.
Last Updated on April 21, 2023 by Mary E. Ramos
By submitting this form, I understand and agree that an attorney-client relationship with Ramos Law Group is ONLY established upon entering into a written fee agreement. I acknowledge that this submission is not a request for legal advice, and any information received in response will not constitute legal advice.
I also consent to receiving text messages from Ramos Law Group. I can text ‘STOP’ to opt out of text messages at any time. Please visit our SMS Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more details.