Divorce is a complex legal process that has many steps involved before it is finalized. It is a huge decision that should not be taken lightly. There is a lot of misinformation about divorce that comes from gossip and misinterpretation of the law. Instead of listening to your neighbor or cousin, you should speak to someone who knows and understands family law.
Here are five myths about divorce that you might want to consider:
Myth: Women always get custody of the children.
Truth: Although women do have primary custody in about 83 percent of divor ces, more Texas courts lean toward shared custody these days. Children who have both parents involved in their lives do better emotionally, academically and socially.
Myth: One person is responsible for the problems in your marriage.
Truth: Blaming a spouse is common in divorce, but both people in the relationship have a part to play in the breakup. Sometimes, a couple just grows apart over time.
Myth: Divorce is expensive.
Truth: A litigious divorce can be quite costly. To keep your expenses lower, try to work out separation issues with your ex-spouse outside of court or work with a mediator to resolve issues. Allow your lawyer to prepare the paperwork to be filed with the court.
Myth: All ex-wives get spousal support.
Truth: In Texas, there are a lot of factors that go into calculating alimony. The list includes items such as age, length of marriage, financial resources of both parties, earning ability and what property each spouse brought to the marriage. There is no guarantee for spousal support, for either a man or a woman.
Myth: Divorce will solve the issues in our bad marriage.
Truth: Divorce is not the only solution to a bad marriage. It does take a lot of effort to make a marriage work, especially when two people cannot agree. However, divorce may not be the ideal solution to your situation. If there are children involved, you will still be mom or dad, even though you are no longer husband and wife. There will be graduations, birthdays and holidays where you have to share your children. Handling the divorce well allows you to maintain a respectful relationship with your child’s parent.
Get authoritative information
One important thing you can do before entering the process is to get the facts from an experienced divorce attorney. You need reliable information about your rights and obligations from a person who knows the law. When you enter the divorce process with knowledge, you can handle it the best way for your situation.
