Some people make the decision to divorce and act instantly, but many others take time to prepare before they file. It is important to make arrangements to live independently and protect yourself financially when you file for divorce. However, you have to be careful about how you attempt to do so.

The wrong actions could look like misconduct to the courts and possibly undermine your rights in the divorce proceedings. You have to be honest about any property you take, especially if it is community property under Texas law.

How could your financial preparation for divorce lead to accusations of misconduct?

If you have a spouse who was wealthy prior to your marriage and would like to divorce them, you may find yourself in a unique position. In some ways, divorcing can be beneficial for you. You can leave a relationship that is not working for you. You have the option of fighting for a share of your marital assets, too.

At the same time, divorcing someone who is financially well-off can be difficult. They have the money to take you to court and to use the best attorneys and support that they can afford. You may not be in that same position.

What can you do to level the playing field?

If you’re divorcing someone who has the money to make your life difficult, you should carefully consider if you can negotiate with them to avoid conflict. If you rely on your spouse for an income, it’s equally important to make sure you work out your budget in advance and ask for what you need knowing your limits.

Unfortunately, some people find themselves in a situation where they feel that the other parent may leave with their children unexpectedly. They may already have frequent arguments about the custody schedule or be dealing with threats of fleeing or withholding custody.

It’s important for parents to be able to take steps to prevent a parental abduction. One of those possible steps could be to use a tracking app to see where your children are. Can you use it though? Is it legal to do so?

Location devices and your kids

It is pretty typical for kids to have location devices in today’s world. Smartphones and smartwatches have location settings and parental controls that may allow you to track your child’s location if necessary. Of course, this device has to be with them, or else it won’t be any help.

You and your spouse have probably set aside money for years to fund your retirement. Filing for divorce will inevitably impact those retirement savings. Some people have to spend money set aside for retirement to cover the cost of divorce.

Even those who can absorb divorce expenses without tapping into retirement savings will usually have to split retirement accounts and pensions. The community property laws in Texas give each spouse a claim to retirement savings and pension benefits accrued during the marriage.

When you file for divorce close to retirement age, you will want to be proactive about protecting your plan for retirement. Taking the two steps below will help you figure out an estimated budget for your post-divorce retirement.

It seems like winning is often the top priority for divorcing. Different people may define “winning” in their divorce as securing certain assets or certain terms for the custody of their shared children. However, securing a “win” in either of those areas may require a massive investment of both resources and time.

The more a couple fights over their property and custody terms, the more they end up paying for divorce. These protracted battles can also often do real damage to the relationship between former spouses, which can be problematic if they have to share custody as co-parents later.

More people every year turn to collaborative divorce as a way to truly win at divorce by keeping their costs low and securing the terms that matter the most to them.