Many couples in Maryland who want to get divorced wait until after the holidays to file their petitions. This leads to a surge in new divorce cases in January of each year. While the beginning of the year is a great time to make a fresh start, there are several steps that spouses might want to complete before they commence the divorce process.
Before people meet with their divorce lawyers for initial consultations, they should start by reviewing all of their social media accounts. They should then look at the things that they have posted and self-edit them. After the divorces are filed, social media accounts are often the targets of divorce lawyers. It may be smart to clean them up and then to take a break from posting for a while.
Property and debt division matters normally figure into divorce cases. In order to help lawyers, spouses should gather their financial documents together and bring them to their consultations. These include final pay stubs from 2017, the prior year’s tax returns, bank statements and bills. If there are some credit problems, a client should bring copies of their credit reports.
A soon-to-be ex might also want to think about their goals following a divorce. This may help them to understand divorce legal issues. By preparing thoroughly for the future, people might be able to facilitate a smoother divorce process. An attorney may help a spouse negotiate a settlement agreement outside of court. If they cannot reach resolutions, a lawyer could litigate the outstanding issues through the divorce court.