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As soon as the word “divorce” got mentioned, things changed for you. The honeymoon is over and decisions need to be made that will affect your family’s well being, as well as your legal status and financial stability moving forward. The last thing you want to happen is to be one of the many gentlemen in the country who are left holding the bag with a huge alimony payment or unfair child support obligations. You also don’t want a parenting schedule that essentially leaves you out in the cold or a situation where a significant portion of your assets are gone forever. During your divorce, you definitely don’t want to come out the other end feeling that you got taken advantage of. So, how can you minimize the chances of being taken advantage of during your divorce?
Now more than ever, it’s important for you to be an active parent. Your children come first. It’s essential that they see a parent who is role modeling an effective approach to the chaos of a divorce and that they hear the message loud and clear that the divorce is not their fault.
You want to show the court that you are engaged and that you put the needs of your family first. Your ex will try to paint a picture for the court of a stereotypical absentee father, so you need to counteract that message by showing that you are engaged to the maximum extent possible with your children and that you are a significant part of their lives.
It’s time to take a good, hard look at your money and start compiling all the information about your finances for the court. The first step is to order a copy of your credit report. With all the joint accounts that open up during a marriage, it’s vital that you account for every item on your credit report and take note of any accounts that are in your name that you might not have been aware of.
Keeping track of your credit will also be important after the divorce to ensure that no one attempts to open up accounts in your name without your knowledge.
Debt can be used as leverage during a divorce. So, it’s also wise to begin shutting down joint accounts and pay off as much joint debt as possible. Your family law attorney can help assist with a structured game plan to do this efficiently and in a way that minimizes the effect on your case.
Don’t forget accounts that are online that can be accessed by both parties. The goal here is to minimize your spouse’s ability to incur more debt with your name attached to it or to make more purchases on a joint account.
While it is certainly true that fathers have certain obstacles that are unique to them in the divorce courts, it is not true that you are doomed to lose your case because the mother always wins. An experienced family law attorney who specializes in father’s rights can help you to not get taken advantage of during your divorce simply because of your gender.
Be completely upfront and honest with your attorney so that they don’t get blindsided down the road. They can help craft a strategy to address negative or unflattering items that will come up in court to try and paint you in a bad light. The bottom line is that you have a right to your assets and to have a meaningful relationship with your children moving forward. An attorney can help make that happen.
Family Matters Law Group specifically makes a point to fight for father’s rights and we have a successful track record in doing so. If you want to avoid getting taken advantage of in your divorce, and you live in the Atlanta metro area (especially Henry, Clayton, and Fayette counties), contact us today. We’re ready to hear your story and fight for you!
