Divorce: Time Management
A divorce is one of the major stressors in life and the amount of research that shows that is amazing. Managing all of the parts of a divorce in a timely way can also be stressful. Divorce time management can be instrumental in managing your divorce.
Tips for Time Management
• Calendar important dates involving your lawyer and your case is your first step in divorce time management.
When your lawyer or her staff sends you an email requesting a particular action or reply, be sure to do what they are asking you to do on time. Print the email, make a note on your calendar, or put a reminder on your phone. If your lawyer asks you for information or to provide her with something, it is for the benefit of your case. Your lawyer needs you to do something in order to keep moving forward on your case. If your attorney doesn’t hear back from you or get the information from you, she or her assistant will have to email or call you again to try to get it by the deadline. If your lawyer gives you a deadline, there is most likely a reason for it. If you don’t understand the deadline, ask about it.
• Respond to contact from your lawyer and her staff promptly or as requested.
When your lawyer’s office calls or emails you, return the call or reply to the email. Time management in your divorce involves scheduling time for contact with your lawyer. Again, not answering that email or returning the call to the attorney’s office isn’t going to make the divorce stop. But, it will create unnecessary stress because you are avoiding your lawyer. Also, your lawyer’s office is contacting you about your divorce. If money isn’t a concern of yours, then it may not matter to you if they have to email and or call you several times to get you to reply. But, if you are concerned about your budget, don’t avoid that call. The increase in your fees will also create stress. Answer the emails in the evening if you can’t access email during your work hours. If time is tough for a call in the daytime, ask your lawyer if she will schedule return calls with you. That is what we do in my office to avoid exchanging voicemails.
• Calendar important dates involving the details of your post-divorce new normal.
Your life after divorce will be new and different. You will have new time management issues, deadlines, new post-divorce children pick up and return dates and times, as well as when you are expecting to receive documents for property changes and divisions. Put reminders and set those dates on your calendar until they become your new normal.
By Jill O’Connell, Jill can be reached at O’Connell Law Firm, PC, 940-497-5454
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