teens with legal issues

If you're going through the divorce process, you'll probably want to handle it as smoothly as possible. No divorce attorney can guarantee that there won't be bumps in the road. However, by doing these four things, you can reduce the odds the process will be difficult.

Hire Counsel

Retain the services of a divorce lawyer, even if you expect your ex to go along with the process and not cause any trouble. Plenty of things can get messy if you don't have counsel. That applies even in amicable divorces. An attorney can guide you through the process, dealing with paperwork, deadlines, scheduling, and questions from the court.

If the divorce process turns sour because the other party picks a fight, you can use your lawyer to calm things down a bit. Tell your ex to route all their questions through your counsel if they can't behave. An attorney makes an excellent shield when things get ugly.

Keep a Practical Focus

Yes, divorce can be an emotional time. If you want to navigate it as smoothly as possible, though, you should focus on the practical things. This means focusing on making sure you'll have a place to live and money. If there are kids from the marriage, child custody and support are important issues to resolve during the divorce.

Avoid Unofficial Agreements

Even if you and your ex are confident you can conduct yourselves like adults for years to come, avoid all informal agreements. It might be tempting, for example, to shake hands on child custody. However, this can blow up down the road even if everyone plays nicely. For example, doctors' offices, schools, and other entities will eventually want to know who has to deal with the kid's day-to-day needs. This includes signing off on decisions.

Put everything down on paper. Have a divorce lawyer review all of it before you sign. Enter the documents into the court record so everything will be square.

Be Patient and Calm

No one benefits in a legal process from getting upset. Some things may take time, and you shouldn't jump to conclusions until there's a legal advantage for doing so. You don't need to go into a divorce with the goal of winning. Fights are pointless, and they may even cause a judge to side against someone if they keep it up. Just make sure to follow your attorney's advice as patiently and calmly as possible so you can deal with the process smoothly.

For more information, contact a divorce lawyer near you.