3 Common Issues Encountered in the First Few Months of Divorce.

Being home to the top divorce lawyers in Grand Rapids, MI, here at the law offices of Sean Patrick Cox, we understand how stressful the entire process of divorce can be. You are basically uprooting your entire life, disrupting certain social and personal relationships while inadvertently putting a heavy emotional toll on your kids.

Even when you know there’s no way around it, divorce is still hard. Divorce becomes more devastating when you don’t know what to expect from the entire proceeding, which could frankly drag on for months with consequences still being felt long after a settlement has been reached between you and your ex.

One of the things our divorce lawyers in Grand Rapids, MI, always advocate for is being well-informed before filing for divorce. You need to prepare yourself for the challenges you’ll be facing as you push forward through these difficult times.

Fortunately, with the offices of Sean Patrick Cox by your side, you have the best Grand Rapids divorce lawyer in town to help you navigate this process from start to finish.

In this article, we would like to explain what you can expect from your divorce, prepare you for the emotional and legal implications of it, and shed light on a few issues that your divorce could ultimately focus on.

The Psychological Impact of Divorce

Divorce is perhaps one of the most taxing things one can go through in their life. Even if your divorce remains uncontested, it can still feel devastating to drift apart from a person you took marriage vows with. Several studies on the matter, over the years, have revealed that people who are going through a divorce are highly susceptible to a great degree of mental distress. 

It is quite common for divorced folks to experience intense symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Needless to say, it is imperative to seek professional help for your mental health when going through a divorce, especially during the initial few months. 

At its core, however, divorce is a legal transaction more so than it is an emotional one. In fact, we would argue that finding a lawyer for divorce that you can trust could be the solution you need to effectively deal with the psychological fallout of divorce.

The impact of your divorce will ultimately depend on how well your interests are represented in court, especially pertaining to the issues at hand.

In hindsight, a divorce proceeding will center around three primary issues that mostly apply to all cases. We’ll take a deep dive into them below:

3 of the Most Common Issues in Divorce

1. Property Division

Almost all marital estate involves debts and assets that must be identified, disclosed in court, and then divided equally between both parties. The assets could include stocks, real estate, bonds, vehicles, and other types of personal property like furniture, jewelry, etc. On the other hand, debts could include medical bills, personal loans, mortgages, student loans, etc.
According to our Divorce Lawyers in Grand Rapids, MI, it is always wise to make a note of all assets and debts involved. Make a rough estimate of their values. This will help our attorneys draw strategies that could result in you being rewarded a fair settlement.

2. Spousal and Child Support

Although not as common as in the past, Spousal support is still awarded if the court deems it appropriate given the circumstances. The main criteria that courts use to determine whether someone qualifies for spousal support include marriage duration and income disparity between the two partners.

If you feel entitled to spousal support, then a wise Grand Rapids Divorce Lawyer will tell you to calculate a budget that indicates your reasonable monthly living expense. If the amount is reasonable and your spouse is able to pay it, then you might be eligible for spousal maintenance.

A court will also order a spouse to pay child support if there are children involved. This is pretty much straightforward and the award is based on the parents’ relative incomes. Child support could entail an amount that is paid by one parent to another to fulfill the basic necessities of a child or it could be in the form of Childcare support wherein the cost is divided between both parties.

3. Child Custody

The final issue here is perhaps what makes divorce so contentious. Now there are two types of custody – physical and legal. Legal custody basically revolves around decisions regarding a child’s education, medical aid, religious upbringing, etc. The legal custody of a child is mostly shared between both parties.

Physical custody, on the other hand, pertains to the day-to-day care of a child. Physical custody can further be divided into sole custody and joint custody. A court will determine whether to reward one parent with the sole custody of a child or reward joint custody of the child to both parents. The judge will make these decisions keeping the best interests of the child in mind.

Taking Care of Yourself During Divorce

Divorce can be the hardest thing you have to go through in life. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. You can seek professional help from a therapist to help you cope with the psychological impact of divorce. It is also very important to prioritize self-care during this time by eating healthy, sleeping well, socializing, and meditating.
Finally, you’ll need a good attorney to best advocate for your interests in court. This is where the services of Sean Patrick Cox, LLC come into play. The office of Sean Patrick Cox is home to the best attorneys who have a great record of representing both men and women in both contested and uncontested divorces.

Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of our clients gain a fair settlement in court and can do the same for you. If you seek experienced legal counseling from the best divorce attorney in Grand Rapids, MI, then waste no time in giving the offices of Sean Patrick Cox a call today.