Divorce for some people is almost unbearably painful. Others are stirred to anger and sometimes even to violence. Before you initiate a divorce, a custody dispute, or any other legal action involving your household, discuss your rights and options with an experienced Orange County family law attorney, and learn these “unwritten” rules of conduct for anyone involved in a family legislation dispute.
- Don’t focus on the trivial. Fighting over who owns the microwave or who gets the kids for a holiday is a waste of your emotional energies. Compromise when possible. Focus on the final settlement and your long-term best interests.
- Likewise, inflammatory language and unsubstantiated charges during negotiations and hearings are useless and actually work against you. Stick to the facts, state them soberly and dispassionately, and heed your family law attorney’s advice.
- Restrain any impulse to be rude, mean, or inappropriate. Every text, tweet, Facebook post, and email “can be used against you in a court of law.” Opposing attorneys and a judge will see every word. If you express a lack of control or maturity, it cannot help your case.
- Don’t let the kids decide on the parenting plan. You may not realize it, but giving children those decisions in effect forces a child to choose between parents. Of course you should consider the feelings and wishes of your children, but the decisions must be the responsibility of the adults.
The failure to adhere to these “unwritten” rules can only hurt you in a family legislation dispute, and while every family law case is both difficult and unique, following these recommendations can make a family law case quicker, less complicated, and less contentious. If you need to file for divorce or initiate any other household law action – or if you need legal representation because of a legal action someone else has initiated – arrange at once to speak with an experienced Orange County family law attorney.
