Divorced couple fighting while moving out

The divorce process in Texas can be a complicated, frustrating experience. In addition to the legal aspect of a divorce, spouses may experience extreme emotional distress as they take steps to end their marriage. Emotions range from loneliness and sadness to guilt and anger. Unfortunately, a lack of legal knowledge and negative emotions can increase the risk of making mistakes. To help you avoid mistakes during your divorce, our Austin divorce attorney discusses the top mistakes couples make during a divorce in this blog.

Acting Out of Revenge or Anger 

Experiencing these emotions is a normal and acceptable way to deal with the dissolution of marriage. However, you need to recognize that these emotions can increase your desire to act inappropriately in numerous situations. Acting out of revenge or anger could negatively impact your divorce case later. Seeking therapy and counseling can be an effective way to deal with these emotions. 

Failing to Seek Prompt Legal Advice From a Qualified Austin Divorce Lawyer 

Regardless of your relationship with your spouse or agreement to have an amicable divorce, you need prompt legal advice to protect your interests. Furthermore, you want to obtain legal advice from a qualified divorce attorney. When meeting with a divorce lawyer, ask about their experience and success rate in achieving their client’s goals for divorce. 

Not Reading Documents Before Signing Them

Never trust your spouse to be fair during a divorce action. You may have no reason to believe your spouse would treat you unfairly. However, signing documents without reading them or seeking legal advice could result in an unfair divorce settlement. 

Keeping Things From Your Attorney 

We understand that it might be difficult or embarrassing to relate some of the details of your marriage and life. However, we must know everything regarding your case to provide sound advice and effective legal representation. If you leave out information or mislead your attorney regarding the facts of your case, you place yourself at a disadvantage and may suffer irreparable harm to your case. 

Failing to Change Your Estate Plan

Many spouses fail to change their estate plan after a divorce, including updating their beneficiary designations, Wills, and directives. If you do not update beneficiaries and your Will, your ex-spouse could receive some or all of your assets, depending on how your estate plan is set up. 

Resuming an Intimate Relationship With an Estranged Spouse 

Resuming an intimate relationship with your estranged spouse is unwise for several reasons. It can cloud your judgment during the divorce, leading to poor decisions that hurt your case and future. You may also cause legal problems. For example, having sex with your estranged spouse could result in the court taking the position you forgive your spouse for cheating on you. Therefore, the grounds of adultery would be moot. 

Allowing Your Spouse to Convince You Not to Hire a Lawyer

Your spouse might tell you they will bear the burden of legal fees and costs for the divorce, so you do not need to hire a lawyer. While this offer sounds appealing, it is unwise. Your spouse’s attorney cannot represent you because they must act in your spouse’s best interest, which is usually adversarial to your interests. You need a divorce attorney who will protect your interests. 

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Austin Divorce Attorney 

Our legal team at the Law Office of Ben Carrasco offers guidance, support, and legal advice to help you navigate each step in the divorce process. Call our office to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Austin divorce attorney. Working with an experienced lawyer helps you avoid costly mistakes during the divorce process.

About the Author
Ben Carrasco is a highly skilled family law attorney based in Austin, Texas, known for his extensive expertise in family law and business litigation. While his primary focus is family law, Ben brings a wealth of experience in litigating diverse business disputes, ranging from breach of contract and collections to business torts, fraud, and real estate matters. In his family law practice, Ben navigates all aspects of the field, including divorce, child custody, support, property division, and more, offering clients expert guidance throughout the litigation process. His legal journey began in complex commercial litigation, initially with a global law firm and later with a prominent Austin-based firm. However, driven by a desire to make a direct impact on people's lives and embrace the human element of the law, Ben transitioned to family law, a decision that has proven to be deeply rewarding. A proud Austin native with roots in California, Ben completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, before earning his law degree at Stanford Law School, where he excelled in legal writing and served as an associate editor of the Stanford Law and Policy Review.