How to Prepare for a Divorce
Marriages are often romanticized but, for 41.5 percent of the population, their happy-ever-afters end up in bitter separations and divorces. If you find yourself among these statistics, there are some essential things you need to do to learn how to prepare for a divorce. Most people think about the attorney first. However, in reality, you need to gather information before you file your complaint. The more you prepare and organize, the better off an attorney will be in winning your legal case.
Document Your Marital Lifestyle
Information is power, so you need to keep track and document marital lifestyle changes in anything from behaviors to income or assets. You should also begin to notate financial documents that will later become important to your attorney. If you are unable to get ahold of them, it is a good idea to work with credible professionals like a San Jose Private Investigator (PI).
You should also find a safe place to keep this information that is not in the home you share with your spouse. Whether you open a safety deposit box or hire a professional investigator to gather this information while preparing for your divorce, it is vital that you have a place to store documents that will help the court determine critical issues like asset division or child custody.
Hire a Private Investigator
If you think your divorce or child custody will be contested, you will benefit from hiring a private investigator to gather information and help you during the process to protect your personal interests. From proving infidelity to finding hidden assets or unusual behaviors that affect custody, a private investigator has the experience to get evidence that determines a legal case.
Private investigators also are trained to know where and how to look while also being discreet in their activities. These professionals may use decoys to entice a spouse or use public records and external databases to locate financial assets internationally. Investigators also know which sites to trust and which ones to avoid to ensure a client gets verified and accurate information.
Surveillance is also a primary part of an investigator’s skill set. Being able to track a spouse without detection, take pictures or make videos allows a client to set legal precedence for the divorce and support claims being made against a spouse. In cases where allegations are being made falsely, a private investigator will also help prove your innocence in court.
The court is also more likely to trust a private investigator’s reports over a spouse’s testimony because PIs are generally licensed, educated and experienced. They also testify in court since it is common for evidence to surface during an investigation that will get submitted by a family law attorney. To prepare for your divorce, an investigator will also help you with decision making.
Once you record your lifestyle and work with an investigator, it will be easier and more affordable to hire an attorney because the critical evidence has been gathered. An attorney will also have supporting evidence to file for the divorce and validate any claims that help your case.
