Things to Consider Before You Say, “I Do.”
Although marriage is supposed to be a life long commitment, we hear from couples looking for a divorce attorney often. People divorce for many different reasons, and some of the most common reasons tend to be the following:
- Financial Disagreements
- Parenting Differences
- Incompatibility/Communication Issues
If you don’t want to find yourself calling a divorce attorney in the future, please consider talking about these common issues before you say, “I do.”
Finances
Financial issues cover a wide variety of topics. Talk to your future spouse about their financial history including bankruptcy and credit card debt. If you have significantly more wealth than they do, perhaps you should discuss a prenuptial agreement. Just because you set one up doesn’t mean that you will need it. Think of it as a safety net for the partner with the existing assets. Sometimes talking with an attorney before talking to your partner can help you with the words and ideas about how to approach the conversation.
Parenting
Have you discussed if you’re having children? You don’t want to marry someone who isn’t on the same page about becoming a parent, let alone someone with polar opposite parenting styles than you have. Some things to discuss include:
- Vaccines
- Discipline Styles
- Public or Private Schooling
- Religious Upbringing
One of the best ways to talk about parenting your future children is to talk about how your family parented you.
Communication
Because Florida is a no fault divorce state, it’s common that the reason for the divorce is incompatibility. But that’s a very vague and wide reaching term. Most often it comes down to people claiming they grew apart. One of the leading reasons people grow apart is they stop communicating or communicating on a real level. If you and your future spouse already have a hard time communicating about small things, you might want to meet with a counselor before getting married. If you’re already married, before you call a divorce attorney, try counseling. You might be surprised at how a third party can help solve communication issues.
The attorneys at Wagstaff Law Office can help you before you get married with prenuptial agreements, financial matters, and parenting plan modifications if there are children from a previous marriage. If you’re already married, we can help with estate planning and adoption. Should you find yourself at the end of a marriage, we can help match you with a divorce attorney at our firm to navigate that process. Call us at (727) 584-8182 or contact us online.