Divorce Advice for Men | Fathers Rights Divorce | Child Custody

By Jennifer M. Paine

Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer

If you are like most divorcing couples, moving out of the marital home is not only risky (it’s been dubbed one of "The 10 Stupidest Mistakes Men Make When Facing Divorce" by Cordell & Cordell co-founder Joseph Cordell), it is also financially disastrous.

There's the increased housing expenses, for one thing, plus the burden to friends and family who intend to "help out" for a short time and then find themselves sharing homes for months, a year, or more while the divorce goes on. 

Add to these the loss of control over what occurs in your home when you are gone and the uncertainty to children, who naturally ask where each parent will live, and you have one potent situation should you separate.

But, often, the alternative is not that appealing. It is a rare couple that can cohabit peacefully while they are divorcing. Instead, the situation at home feels more like a pot of water ready to boil over. 

So, what can you do to avoid the costs and uncertainty of moving out, but make things easier while you and your soon-to-be-ex live together? Try these five tips on how to live together during the divorce process.

By Jennifer M. Paine

Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer

So your wife is keeping the family car that is leased or loaned in your name, huh?

Most guys in your position would worry that she will “forget” to make the car payment, or will not pay off the loan in time, or will wait to the last minute to do either and let your credit score take a hit in the meantime (out of spite or sheer enjoyment or otherwise).

What’s worse, if she is unable to assume liability for the lease or refinance the purchase loan, then even if your divorce judgment says she is responsible for the payments, the car creditor will come after you.

This is because the creditor is not bound to your divorce judgment and, frankly, does not care what your now ex-wife agreed to do with the payments. Instead, the creditor will take the payment from you, or even sue you for it, then force you to pursue your ex-wife for reimbursement.

What can you do to avoid this result if she cannot refinance? Consider these three options:

By Jennifer M. Paine

Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer

If your wife has an attorney who is a, well, you-know-what, chances are you have thought about all of the ways you can tell that attorney to go you-know-where.

Whether it was in court, when you heard that attorney accuse you of being a "deadbeat" or an "absentee father," or in a letter accusing you of hiding money and having to pay it back “or else,” or in an attorneys’ exchange outside the courtroom in which your attorney and hers went at it yelling at each other in a battle more reminiscent of a dog fight, these kinds of exchanges can be unnerving.

More often than not, attorneys like your wife’s intend them to be unnerving. Guys who are worried about those threats (valid or not) coming true are more likely to settle outside of court, and wives who need to feel vindicated in their divorce need (valid or not) to see their attorneys giving them a pit bull style show.

But this style of advocacy often has very little – if anything – to do with the merits of your case, like how good a father you are, how much you support your family already, and how your property should be divided fairly.

So is the style appropriate? And what can you do if, or when, it crosses the line?

Try the following.

By Jennifer M. Paine

Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer

If you are thinking about reconciling with your ex-wife after your divorce is finalized, then there are five questions you need to ask yourself.

These divorce questions to ask are divided into three separate articles:

• Before Divorce
• During Divorce
• After Divorce (below)

By Jennifer M. Paine

Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer

If you are thinking about getting back together with your wife and your divorce has already been filed, then there are basic questions you need to address.

These divorce questions to ask are divided into three separate articles:

• Before Divorce
• During Divorce (below)
• After Divorce