Mistakes Even Smart People Make
From the Dollars and Sense of Divorce written by Carol Ann Wilson, Judith Briles and Edwin C. Schilling. Copyright 1998, Dearborn Trade Publishing.
Be aware of the most common mistakes people make when going through divorce.
- Signing papers without understanding what they mean.
- Canceling or changing insurance policies without thinking through the consequences.
- Withholding information from their lawyers because they now think what they did or said might have been a mistake.
- Going into denial about the process, withdrawing or taking it too lightly.
- Forgetting about the tax consequences of certain matters in the divorce.
- Relying more the advice of family and friends than on their lawyer's.
- Not having enough life and disability insurance to protect an income stream they will depend on.
- Waiting too long to take action to enforce child and spousal support that has stopped.
- Not seeking the advice of psychological and financial professionals.
- Not planning far enough ahead for the health coverage after the divorce.
- Thinking that all participants are "fair".
- Dumping the case in the lawyer's lap and expecting good results.
- Letting emotions run away from the facts.