Divorce can be hard, especially for parents. Emotions typically run high, and most people are under a great deal of stress. Because this time can often cause a lot of conflicts, people can frequently make poor decisions as a result. Here are 3 of the most common mistakes dads make when going through a divorce and how to avoid them.
Leaving the Family Home
Sometimes men feel like leaving the family home can help keep the peace during a divorce, while others make the assumption the court will automatically award full custody to the mother. However, by leaving home without attempting to get temporary custody of your kids, you might be telling the judge you are okay with leaving your kids behind in the care of your ex. While your ex may not be dangerous, you also don’t want a judge to assume you don’t want at least partial custody of your kids if you hope to be able to spend more time in their lives.
Using Children as Leverage
Some dads will do their best to use their children as leverage for child support. In order to avoid paying a lot, they go through lengthy court battles to increase custody and visitation to save money. However, those who only care about the expense rather than spending time with their kids is unlikely to value that time and extremely likely to blow it off. This lack of care will likely manifest and lead to your ex trying to sue for full custody later. Your ex will also have more evidence against you in this case.
Making It Harder for Your Ex
You may be infuriated with your ex for whatever reason, but you should never make the divorce harder out of spite. Arguing over every aspect of the separation is not only a waste of time, but it is costly. Not compromising on issues out of a desire to make your ex suffer will not work in your favor. In fact, judges who see this behavior might rule in your spouse’s favor more often than not. Some states even have laws that punish spouses for unreasonable behavior during a divorce.
If you need help during the process, don’t hesitate to give our skilled Brox divorce attorneys a call. We have more than a decade of legal experience to offer your case. Let us see what we can do for you.
Contact us at (347) 343-5467 or fill out our online form today.