Divorce in New Mexico isn’t an easy process, even for the most civil couple. Before you dive headlong into your own divorce, keep the following uncommon but important divorce prep tips in mind.
Handle Your Emotions First
Emotions often drive a divorce. They spark arguments, fuel court battles, and cause distress. Naturally, the more emotions run wild, the rougher a divorce usually gets.
Of course, having strong emotional control during a divorce isn’t easy as it is an emotional matter at its heart. There will be times when you get emotional no matter what you do. However, the better you are able to keep your emotions in check, the less dramatic your divorce will be. That’s why getting a handle on your emotions early on in the process is so important.
Work with a therapist or join a divorce support group as soon as you can. Waiting until you are overwhelmed by emotion before you get any help will likely make your divorce harder to manage.
Dive Into Your Education
The divorce process simply isn’t user-friendly. As you may have already noticed, it’s complex and possibly not working the way you thought it would. The more you know about the process, the easier it will be to navigate, and you will also feel a lot more comfortable.
Some people do some light online research and talk to family and friends to get information, but in reality, this isn’t enough. Not every divorce is the same, and some online resources are far better than others. Stick to legitimate online resources, such as qualified legal blogs and court guides, and don’t assume everything you read is correct or applies to your situation. Work with a divorce attorney as they will be able to provide you with real information that is relevant to your divorce.
Make a Sound Financial Plan
You probably have already heard you need to get a full understanding and documentation of your financial situation for a divorce, and this is certainly true. But there is another component to this as well, and that’s making a real financial plan. Your post-divorce finances are what will be the foundation for your life after divorce, so it’s important to have a plan for them in place.
Create a budget and a balance sheet so you know what is going in and out every month and what you have. This way, you can plan accordingly for your financial future. If your finances are not complicated, you may be able to create these documents yourself. However, if you have complicated finances, you may need help from a financial planner. Ask your attorney if they can refer you to a financial professional for more help.
Get the Team Together
You should not have to go through a divorce on your own. Ideally, you’ll have a team made of professionals for every divorce aspect–such as an attorney, therapist, and financial planner–and also some trusted friends or relatives you can vent to or lean on when things get tough.
Set Some Real Goals
The question “What do I want?” doesn’t get asked enough in divorce, and it should. If you don’t know what you really want when you start your divorce, the chances of you getting it are slim. Of course, you may already know the answer to this: everything! But that’s not realistic, as people rarely get everything they want in a divorce. You need to determine what your top two goals are and ensure they are goals that are financially and legally possible. Once you have those goals in mind, you can communicate them to your attorney and they will devise a strategy for your divorce that is aimed at reaching them.