Top 10 Divorce Strategies in Tennessee
Ten important Tennessee divorce strategies and strategic goals from Memphis divorce attorney Miles Mason, Sr. including hiring a lawyer, building a legal and financial team, learning statutory factors, and planning your work.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
This message about Tennessee divorce is for clients and friends in Memphis, Germantown, and Collierville, Tennessee and the surrounding area. Tennessee divorce strategy is important. Here are the top 10 best Tennessee divorce strategies:
- Tell the truth. Credibility is vital. If you lose credibility with your judge, you can lose every part of your Tennessee divorce.
- Understand that there is often no such thing as “winning” a divorce. But you can certainly lose a divorce.
- Hire an experienced family lawyer who is right for you. Listen and follow directions.
- Read, read, read. Learn, learn, learn. The more you read and learn in the beginning of your Tennessee divorce, the more likely you will avoid pitfalls.
- Assemble a great team. In addition to your experienced Tennessee divorce lawyer, you may need a counselor, financial advisor, forensic accountant, business valuation expert, tax advisor, real estate appraiser, or appraiser of other types of property.
- Pay attention to Tennessee’s statutory factors. For property division, child custody, and alimony, Tennessee law provides lists of factors courts must use to determine outcomes in every divorce. Even if your Tennessee divorce case eventually settles, being prepared to present your case along the lines of those factors will help you negotiate from a position of strength. Share with your Tennessee divorce lawyer every important fact and piece of evidence, good and bad, applicable to the factors. They are your “cheat sheet.”
- Communicate. Keep your legal team informed of important developments. Timely provide the requested documents and information. Ask a ton of questions. Lawyers can’t read your mind. The only stupid question is the one you did not ask which your divorce lawyer assumed you knew already.
- Get off Facebook and other social media. Don’t be an idiot and assume that none of your “friends” will share with your spouse what you post. As a vindictive response, your spouse may become angrier and refuse to settle, even on reasonable terms.
- With your Tennessee divorce lawyer, develop your action plan. Focus time and effort on your important objectives. Work your plan. When disputed issues arise which don’t impact your objectives, don’t fight over them. Save arguing for important matters.
- Take care of you. Eat right. Exercise. If you need to get some professional counseling, do it. Don’t drink to excess. Get enough sleep. It’s ok to say “no” to others right now, including your friends and parents, and including volunteering your time at your children’s school and at church. When you are done with your divorce, you can make it up to everyone.
