4 Legal Hurdles To Consider Before Divorce

If you and your spouse have decided to part ways and seek a divorce, it may be easy if you don't have children and there are few assets you own together. However, this is usually the exception, rather than the rule. More often than not, a divorce involves not only plenty of disputes along the way, but also lots of emotions that can cloud your thinking at critical times. If you plan to move forward with your divorce plans, here are four legal hurdles you should carefully consider.

Court or Mediation?

Remember, you do not necessarily have to attend numerous court hearings to get divorced. Instead, you and your spouse could agree to mediation. By doing so, you can not only keep the details of your divorce free from being a matter of public record, but also retain much more decision-making power over important issues like child custody and property division.

Dividing Property

If you and your spouse have numerous assets that you own together and were obtained after you got married, keep in mind that dividing up these assets can be tricky. Not only will you have to make decisions about real estate and bank accounts, but also about vehicles and anything else you own, even your pets. Since your financial future may depend on how your property is divided, work closely with your lawyer on this matter.

Child Custody

Should the two of you have children, the question of who will get physical as well as legal custody of your children will be a high hurdle to clear during your divorce proceedings. Therefore, always hire a child custody lawyer who can protect your rights as a parent as much as possible. Remember, custody will also involve visitation rights for you or your spouse, so make sure you arrive at the best agreement for both you and your kids.

Alimony and Child Support

Finally, if you are discussing child custody during a divorce, you will also be talking about child support payments. Whether you are the person seeking child support or the parent who will be expected to pay child support each month, don't take this area lightly. Also, your spouse may also be seeking alimony payments from you each month. If so, you could find yourself facing extreme financial hardship in the years ahead, especially if you make poor decisions during negotiations.

Though a divorce will dramatically alter your life, you can minimize the damage and move forward by using good judgment and working with an attorney you know and trust.