Considering divorce during the holidays can be difficult and emotional, especially if you have not shared your thoughts with your spouse and have not discussed your plans with friends or family members. When couples share kids from the marriage, plans to divorce can make the holiday season especially complicated and contentious. You might be thinking that it makes sense to wait until after the holidays are over to get the divorce process started. However, it is important to keep in mind that planning ahead is essential in divorce cases. Even if you want to wait to talk to your spouse about divorce plans, or to tell friends and family members, it is a good idea to meet with a divorce lawyer as soon as possible. Our Charleston divorce lawyers can explain why you should meet with a divorce lawyer now even if you are waiting until after the holidays to file for divorce.
Should I Meet with a Divorce Lawyer Now or After the Holidays?
When you are debating whether to meet with a divorce lawyer now or to wait until after the holidays, you should know that it is always a good idea to get started on your divorce planning as soon as possible. You might be thinking that you can avoid the stress of the holiday season if you wait to talk with a divorce lawyer. However, you will only be putting off the planning you will need to do, and you can often use the holiday season to get ready for your divorce so that you can file quickly as soon as you are ready to do so.
Get Your Financial Documents in Order
One of the reasons to meet with a divorce lawyer now is to learn more about preparing for divorce and getting your financial documents in order. Under South Carolina law, courts divide all marital assets and debts equitably in a divorce. By planning ahead, and using the holiday season to gather important financial materials, you can ensure that you will receive a fair amount of property in your divorce.
Start Thinking About Child Custody and Planning for Your Custody Case
Child custody cases also require a lot of planning. If you share minor children from your marriage, you should start talking to a divorce lawyer now about preparing for your child custody case and gathering evidence to show that you should have both legal and physical custody because it is in the best interests of your children.
Be Ready to File After the New Year
There are many things you will need to do to get ready to file for divorce. As we have discussed above, you will want to gather important financial documents and materials concerning your marital assets. You will also want to be thinking ahead about child custody and ways of showing that you having legal and physical custody is in your child’s best interests. By planning ahead and working with a Charleston divorce lawyer on these issues and more, you can be ready to file as soon as the holiday season is over. Otherwise, if you wait until after the New Year to meet with a lawyer, you will likely need to spend additional time planning before you will actually file your divorce papers.
The key is to meet with a divorce lawyer now so that you can be ready to file for divorce as soon as you are ready.
Contact a South Carolina Divorce Lawyer
You should get in touch with a Charleston divorce lawyer at our firm today to begin preparing for your divorce. Although the holiday season can be stressful, and you might want to put off divorce planning, it is better to begin getting ready to file for divorce as soon as you can. Contact The Peck Law Firm online today or give us a call at 843-631-7117 to get started on your divorce case.
Recommendations For Additional Reading
New Year’s Resolution — Divorce?
Getting Through the Holidays for the Kids
4 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Your Divorce