Your relationship with your spouse has eroded so much that you avoid each other and rarely exchange words. Both of you know what is in store: divorce proceedings.
Big changes will soon come, but before these changes arrive, you must prepare because you have a number of worries and concerns. This makes you wonder, “What are the biggest concerns? What are the priorities in divorce situations?”
Property division, child-related matters and your health
These five issues represent the top concerns among people going through divorce:
- Property division: Marital assets come to the forefront. Receiving scrutiny will be the family home, other owned real estate properties along with assets related to retirement investments, pensions and shared financial accounts.
- Child custody and parenting time: Whether joint custody or sole custody scenarios, many decisions are necessary. Will the parents share custody with the children spending equal time with each parent? Or will one parent have sole custody while the other parent simply has visitation rights? In either scenario, parenting schedules must be put in place that work in the children’s best interests.
- Child support: This is based on the incomes of both parents and the court-ordered or agreed-upon parenting time. The amount of child support gets established by reviewing matters that include the children’s day-to-day necessities, daycare costs and health-related costs.
- Alimony: In many divorce situations, one spouse earns a significantly higher amount of income. And, in certain cases, one spouse may have given up a career to raise the children and take care of the home front. The lower-income earner and non-income earner deserve their fair shares of alimony.
- Your physical and mental health: Divorce can take a toll on a person’s physical and mental well-being as its effects may linger. Research indicated that years after a divorce, divorced people have higher rates of depression, illness, substance abuse and mortality than married people. Seek help when you need it.
Understanding the importance of these issues will better prepare you for divorce. Your journey may not be easy, but you may know what to expect.
An attorney can guide you
Depending on the couple, the main concerns stemming from divorce may vary. However, these five are among the most frequently mentioned. An attorney can help and guide you regarding the first four. A therapist or counselor may help you with the last one.