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5 common misconceptions about divorce

On Behalf of | Nov 10, 2022 | Family Law

Many people want to file for divorce but don’t because they may have heard a story about someone having a messy divorce. These stories often create common misconceptions that discourage people from seeking change in their lives. This could create fear that a divorce will be the biggest mistake of their lives.

These misconceptions are just that, however, a misconstrued, unlikely story. To better understand how divorce works, it may be best to know how divorce doesn’t work. Here’s what you should know:

  1. You’ll lose everything in the asset division process

Assets are typically owned equally in a marriage, so marital assets may be evenly divided between you and your spouse. Having a prenup or postnup may make it clear who receives what assets in a divorce. These legal documents help detail what assets are protected during the division process.

  1. You’ll never see your kids again

Most people plan out a child custody order during a divorce. This allows each parent to continue contributing to their children and granting allotted parenting times. Parents usually discuss a co-parenting plan or a parallel parenting plan – which work very similarly, but, in a co-parenting plan, each parent works together, while a parallel parenting plan has parents working independently of each other.

  1. Your spouse can stop a divorce

If your spouse doesn’t want to sign for a divorce, then they’re in for an unhappy surprise because you can still it. Your spouse has to meet a deadline to sign a divorce petition otherwise you may be able to have a judge grant the petitions agreement through a default divorce. Your spouse won’t be able to oppose the divorce and will only have delayed the inevitable.

  1. Alimony will last for a lifetime

If you and your spouse agreed to an alimony plan, then, after divorce, there’s a chance you may be financially supporting your spouse. Some people may believe that alimony lasts forever as a repercussion of divorce. The truth, however, is that alimony only lasts for a fraction of the length of the marriage.

  1. You don’t need legal help during a divorce

Divorce is a delicate matter that often needs legal help to support the decision. There are many considerations to make when splitting two peoples’ lives.