Divorce Do's and Don'ts
Get Advice from a Westlake Village Divorce Lawyer
If you are facing
divorce, be sure that you understand what you are getting into so that you can
resolve your legal matter as quickly as possible with as few problematic
complications as possible. Any
family law matter will be extremely difficult and confusing if you do not have the
counsel of a
Westlake Village divorce lawyer by your side every step of the way. Richard Ross Associates provides personalized
representation and legal service for each client's divorce case and
will work tirelessly to achieve the best possible results. Attorney Richard Ross is
board certified in family law by the California Board of Legal Specialization and is one of the most
recognized and qualified family law attorneys in Ventura County and Los
Angeles County. Contact a member of our team today to set up your complimentary
case evaluation and learn what you should and should not do in a divorce
proceeding.
Six Important Things to Know About Divorce
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Do consult a family law attorney. The very first step in a family law matter, whether it's a divorce,
legal separation, child custody or support modification, is to obtain
the counsel and representation of a skilled lawyer. This should preferably
be done before any paperwork is filed, but as soon as possible if it must
be done after filing. People often feel that their case is simple and
that they don't need an attorney, but retaining an attorney, even
if just for a short consultation, will often save people time and financial
resources in the long run.
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Do obtain copies of financial paperwork such as bank statements, bills, mortgage statements, and tax returns for
at least the past three years. Make sure you keep these documents in a
location that is safe. If possible, give copies to a friend or a trusted advisor.
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Do keep a log or journal of interactions between yourself and the other party. If custody is an issue, keep track
of who has custody and when, whether the other party is routinely late
for pick-up or drop-off times, and whether the children are returned unfed
or unclean. If support is an issue, log how often support payments are
made, the dates they are made, and the amounts of the payments. Also,
try to keep a copy of all payments.
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Don't get involved in petty arguments or heated disputes with the other party if avoidable. Pay careful attention to the things
that you say to them, the emails you write or text messages you send.
All of this information about behavior could be used in court. If you
are unsure about how to handle communication with the other party, consult
an attorney.
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Don't use children to pass messages from one party to the other. Don't give your child or children support
payments to give to the other party, and most importantly, refrain from
making disparaging remarks about the other party in front of the children.
Such behavior could lead to accusations of parental alienation.
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Don't remove the other party's name from any joint bank accounts, life insurance policies, real property deeds, or similar financial and
legal paperwork without direction from the court. An attorney should be
consulted before attempting to do any of these actions.
Get Quality Legal Counsel at Richard Ross Associates
Attorney Ross has handled countless divorce and family law cases over the
course of his career, and has proven his skill by becoming a Certified
Family Law Specialist. He handles each case himself, working relentlessly
to expedite the process while still maximizing the end results. Serving
Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village, our firm often handles cases in which another attorney
complicated the issue due to carelessness or inexperience. In contrast,
we provide personalized service backed by extensive experience and we
truly care for our clients and their cases. We are skilled in handling
any family law matter and are more than capable of achieving the outcome
you need. Call today or fill out our
online case evaluation form to set up your consultation with a skilled divorce attorney from our firm.
The sooner you
contact us, the sooner we can resolve your family law matter.