8 April 2016
 Categories: Law, Blog

If you are preparing to file for divorce, you might be thinking about what will happen in divorce court. However, in some cases, there are a few things that you should do before you ever present your spouse with the divorce papers. These are three things that you should talk to your divorce attorney about before doing so; depending on your situation, these things could be beneficial.

1. Gather Evidence

In many divorces, it's good to have evidence. If your spouse cheated on you, for example, you will probably want to be able to prove it. If you are concerned that your spouse might try to hide some of his or her assets, you will probably want to provide evidence of income and assets so that you can get what you are entitled to. In these cases, it's typically much easier to gather evidence while you are still living together and before you file the divorce paperwork. Talk to your attorney about the types of evidence that you will need in your situation so that you can focus on gathering it beforehand.

2. Make Arrangements for Your Children

If you have children, you might be worried about things like child custody. More permanent arrangements should be made when your divorce goes through, but you'll need to worry about where your children will live and what your visitation arrangement will be in the meantime. Your lawyer can talk to you about filing for temporary custody or can assist you with other child-related matters.

3. Consider Filing a Restraining Order

If your spouse is abusive toward you or has been abusive in the past, you have to think about your safety and the safety of any children who might be involved. Even if your spouse has never acted abusively toward you before, you could be worried about some sort of retaliation after the divorce papers have been served. Talking to your lawyer about your concerns can allow him or her to tell you about your options for protecting yourself, such as by filing a restraining order.

Even though you might be mostly concerned about what will happen when you go to divorce court, there is a chance that you need to take a few steps beforehand. These are three things that you might need to do before filing for divorce, but luckily, your attorney can assist you in making these types of decisions and taking these steps.