One thing I see from a lot of Men going through a divorce is that they get so caught up in the stress of it all, and they are so concerned with the big ticket items, that they tend to dismiss the importance of listing out personal property in an agreement.
Even when reminding them of the importance of this, they tend to shrug it off as if they don’t care, only focusing on “getting it done.”
In such cases, a catch-all paragraph is inserted into the agreement that states that both parties have already divided personal property to their mutual satisfaction.
Only problem is, if you didn’t really, and you’re just trying to get this thing done, then you will have effectively waived any right to property now in her possession.
This sort of approach is one that should be slowed down, so a client doesn’t make a mistake.
Often times, Men are so anxious to get a deal done that they say…
“I don’t care about all that…” or
“She can have it, I’ll figure it out later…”
But in reality, you probably do care, and if you aren’t specific and clear on the front end, you’ll only cause yourself more heartache on the back end.
When it comes to personal property, or really anything else regarding the divorce, it is important to figure it out now. Slow down, and don’t leave any stone unturned.
You may not care now, but when the stress starts to dissipate after the divorce is final, you may be thinking more clearly and realize things you wanted or should have done differently. That sort of realization may only cause you new stress, as now you have to think about how to deal with something you overlooked, post-judgment.
Now in some cases, a solid cost/benefit analysis is a good thing, and very realistic for some clients.
Why would I pay my lawyer to fight over pots and pans, when I can simply go to the store and buy new ones? In that regard, you would probably be right.
However, sometimes items are quite valuable, financially. Other times, items hold more of a sentimental value.
Either way, if you don’t tell your lawyer up front what items you want, or need, then they won’t know to put those items in the agreement.
If you, or someone you know is taking that step towards family law litigation, don’t wait, call Men’s Rights Law Firm at 239-829-0166 today for a consultation.