Everything Your Divorce Lawyer Should Know
Your divorce lawyer will help you best if they have all the relevant information. Below is some specific information the lawyer should have.
Whether or Not You Want the Divorce
Some people use threats of divorce to get their spouse to do something or stop doing something. Your lawyer should know whether you are threatening your partner or want a divorce. Otherwise, you will work towards different goals with your lawyer, complicating matters for both of you. Tell your lawyer what you want from the beginning.
What You Want In the Divorce Decree
If you want a divorce, you should tell your lawyer what you want or expect to walk away with after the divorce. Do you want sole custody of the child? Do you wish to keep the marital home? Do you want half of your marital assets? Your lawyer should know all such things.
Let your lawyer know everything you want. This way, your lawyer can advise you on what to expect and work towards the achievable goals. The information can also help your lawyer prepare for your case. For example, your lawyer can start gathering evidence if you want sole custody because the other parent is an abuser.
Pre or Postnuptial Agreements
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements have a lot of weight during a divorce. As long as the agreements are legal and enforceable, they will precede anything you might want during the divorce. Say you have a postnuptial agreement that gives you the marital home in case of a divorce. Unless the agreement is not legal, that is what you should expect in the divorce.
Note that either of you can challenge such agreements if you have legal grounds for the same. For example, your partner might challenge an agreement because they signed it under duress. Your lawyer should know the existence of all agreements so that they can prepare for such possibilities.
Negative Things Your Partner Might Raise About You
Lastly, your lawyer should know every bad thing you might have done during your marriage. Do not just dwell on the negative aspects of your spouse's behavior. Expect your spouse to raise negative things about you during the divorce. Your lawyer can prepare best for such claims if they know about the claims beforehand.
Say you have a child outside the marriage or have some assets your partner doesn't know about. Your lawyer should not find out about such things during negotiations or in court. Volunteer the information to your lawyer so they can factor it into your divorce preparation.
Reach out to a divorce attorney to learn more.