With over 16 years of experience providing legal representation to divorcing persons I have come up with what I would believe to be the top 5 things people should consider BEFORE moving forward with filing for divorce.
Get a clear understanding of how your state divides the property of divorcing parties; Its better to know what your in for concerning property division before you file, you don't want to be surprised.
Get a clear understanding of how your state divides parenting time and calculates child support (if you have minor children); It can be very difficult to wrap your mind around the drastic changes to living arraignments and finances that can be made very quickly once a divorce case is in active litigation.
Determine if you need additional emotional support to deal with your divorce; Your divorce lawyer is not the best person to help you process your feelings about the divorce. It can be very costly to spend time speaking to your lawyer about how you feel about your divorce. Employing a counselor or therapist can not only save you money but also provide you with appropriate emotional support while going through a divorce proceeding.
Are you in a "No Fault" divorce state? Both Indiana and Georgia are considered "No Fault" divorce states. Find out how being in a "No Fault" state may effect your divorce.
Think about whether or not you and your soon to be ex-spouse can come to an agreement about how you want things to be divided. Over the years I have assisted parties in creating agreements that ultimately become the final orders of the courts to conclude their divorce proceedings.