Divorce is a journey and you are navigating new territory with new information and speaking a language that you don’t fully understand while experiencing one of the most stressful things in a human’s life.

  1. You need a divorce map.  What is a divorce map? As with any map, you know where you are now, and you decide where you want to go, and you choose a route.  So, figure out where you are in your divorce now.  Has an Original Petition for Divorce been filed? Have you met with your divorce attorney yet? Or, are you in the midst of discovery and information gathering? Once you have that figured out, move to the next step and begin determining your divorce goals.
  2. What your goals in your divorce?  In my office, we work with clients to determine their goals.  Working with goals allows us to act and react within the framework you’ve given us.  And, we work with you to help you figure out your goals if you don’t know what your divorce goals are yet.  Your divorce goals are your end point – your destination.  Working to decide what’s important to you in your divorce along the way including divorce cost, divorce speed, agreed divorce terms, informal divorce negotiation, divorce mediation helps you determine your route.
  3. Why? A map, a plan, your goals will help you and your divorce attorney, know where you want to be at the conclusion of your divorce.  You do that by making some decisions at the beginning of your divorce and gathering information about your divorce.  What are your divorce issues? What’s important to you? What’s your divorce goal for your property? What will you do with your assets? What type of possession, conservatorship and child support are you considering? Do you have a home? If so, what’s next for the home?
  4. Answering these questions for yourself, will help you.  And, your divorce map allows you to discuss your goals with your divorce attorney.  And, remember though, divorce is a journey.  You will hit divorce roadblocks, unanticipated issues, and you may take some unplanned side trips.  But, knowing ahead of time what is important to you and your goals will help you make decisions when you are faced with some of those unanticipated things.  Because like any journey, at least in Denton County on I-35E, you never know what’s going to happen.  Many factors are out of your control in divorce too.  You will need your plan reminding you to stay the course or that you’re coming up on a turn.
  5. And, remember you WILL arrive at the end of your divorce journey.  How you got there will be partly determined by you.  Not entirely, but partly. And, while the journey won’t look exactly how you planned it will be better than the journey without a plan at all.

As the old adage goes, failing to plan is planning to fail.  For specific divorce advice, call today to set up your consultation with experienced Denton County divorce attorney, Jill O’Connell, 940-497-5454.