Four Ways to Hurt Your Divorce Case

 Posted on February 11, 2016 in Divorce

When you are working through a divorce, there is the right way to do things and the wrong way to do things. When you do things the wrong way, you run the chance of hurting your case and potentially losing money, property, or time and parenting duties with your child. If you are ever unsure about how to handle a situation that arises or conduct yourself in or outside of court, ask your attorney for guidance. As a preliminary framework, though, keep certain tips in mind to help your own divorce case.

Ignoring Court Orders

A representative of the court will contact you at various points during the divorce process. You might be summoned to appear in court, to give a deposition, or to work with a child custody evaluator to help the court determine an appropriate parenting time schedule for your child. In any of these scenarios, respond promptly to the request and give the court the information it asks for. Failure to comply with the court's orders can count against you in further dealings with the court, such as petitioning to modify your parenting time agreement.

Getting Rid of Marital Property

You and your spouse both have the right to your marital property, which is the property that you have obtained during your marriage. The only exceptions to this include gifts made specifically to either you or your spouse and assets gained through inheritance. In a divorce, the court orders that neither party is permitted to dispose of marital property without the court's permission. This means that you cannot sell your spare vehicle, transfer ownership of your small business to another party, or spend your savings account on a weekend in Las Vegas until the court has divided your marital property and finalized your divorce. The only exception to this rule is your everyday living expenses – if you have a shared bank account, you may still use it to pay for food, gas, and other necessities.

Conducting Yourself Poorly on Social Media

On social media, every comment you make and photo you post can be saved forever. Do not make the mistake of speaking disparagingly about the court, your case, or your former partner on social media. Similarly, do not allow yourself to be seen engaging in illegal or questionable activity on social media – this could come back to haunt you later in the divorce process.

Do Not Disobey the Court

The court may issue a temporary spousal maintenance or parenting time order while your divorce is pending. Failing to comply with this order by refusing to pay spousal maintenance or keeping your child from your former partner is contempt of court and will reflect badly upon you as your case progresses.

Work with a Kane County Divorce Attorney

Divorces can be complicated. As you work through the end of your marriage, you are also likely working through mixed emotions and a feeling of being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information you are expected to digest. For guidance through this process, work with an experienced Kane County divorce attorney. Contact our team today to schedule your free legal consultation with us.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=6000000&SeqEnd=8300000