About Me

When I filed for divorce, the entire process became very contentious. My ex and I struggled to come to agreements and one of the biggest sources of our disagreement was child custody. I spent hours pouring over the custody laws to make sure I knew exactly what my rights were to protect my children, and it worked in my favor in court. If you're facing a divorce, don't assume that you understand the custody laws. Read through the pages here to learn about my experience and seek out the help of an attorney if you find that you need legal support.

Tips For Successfully Staying Safe During A Nasty Divorce Case

If you are an unwilling participant in a nasty divorce case, then your personal safety and the protection of your material possessions is something that you will need to be very vigilant about. The good news is that there are some basic things that you can do to ensure that you and your belongings stay as safe as possible during this trying time, including:

Take Copies of All Records When You Leave

If you are still living in your family home, then you need to immediately locate all of the following documents and copy them:

bank statements

retirement account statements

birth, death, and marriage certificates

credit card statements

Remove these items from your home and store them safely off-site at a relative's home or in a bank's safety deposit box. You may need some of this information for your court case, and you may also need it later down the line when you file your taxes or need to settle any debts. The process will be much easier and less adversarial if you do not have to ask your ex-spouse for copies.

Secure Your Living Space and Move If Necessary for Your Safety

If you believe that your ex-spouse may break into your home, then you should install a security system and inexpensive cameras to monitor your home, both when you are home and when you are away. If you are living in fear of violence against you or your children from your ex-spouse, then you should move to an undisclosed location where you cannot be easily found. Do not share your new location with anyone who will share the information with your ex.

Never Sign Any Documents Under Duress or Because You are Being Threatened

If your ex-spouse is harassing or threatening you in order to convince you to sign a document of any type, it is vital that you do not sign it. Signing a document, even under duress, can hurt your family's court case later down the road. Additionally, it is very hard for your attorney to prove that you did not willingly sign a document when there are no witnesses to the event.

If you are ever pressured to sign anything, insist that your attorney has instructed you to bring any documents to them for approval before you sign. If the situation escalates to domestic violence of any type, then contact law enforcement to help you stay safe.