The goal of every divorce should be to achieve amicability, and when children are involved, an on-going successful co-parenting relationship. After all, the divorce, while about dissolving the relationship, is also about ensuring that the children are not harmed by the process. With these goals in mind, it is easy to figure out the mistakes to avoid in a divorce.
Avoid the drama llama
Social media can be a great place to keep up with friends and family. However, it should not be a place where one vents about the divorce, children or the soon-to-be ex-spouse. It will inevitably reach the children or the ex-spouse. And, while a good co-parenting relationship can take years to develop, it can be destroyed in an instant by just one social media post.
Keep children out of the property division process
To ensure that children are not harmed by the divorce process, it is important to not make them pawns or horse trade them in the divorce process. The property division process should be entirely separate from the co-parenting plan.
Plan ahead, well ahead
When drafting the parenting plan, remember to not just draft for now, but also draft for later. Think about what will happen if plans do not work out. Have contingency plans, approved alternative caregivers, etc.
The main takeaway
For our Tucson, Arizona, readers, the main takeaway is that before every interaction and response, think about what is best for the children and how to achieve amicability. After all, every dollar saved from litigation is another dollar left with the marital estate to be divided between the couple.