Whether going through a fault or no-fault divorce, you should know that your soon-to-be-ex can use plenty of dirt to fight you in court and make you look bad. Wondering what can be used against you in a divorce? Here are some of these things as given by top-rated divorce lawyers:
Infidelity
If you have been unfaithful and your ex-spouse has proof of it, they can use the information to get a larger portion of the marital assets or more time with the children.
While this is the case, you should note that infidelity is not a crime, and therefore, it cannot be used to charge you with anything formally.
As mentioned, your ex can bring it up in the negotiations to show that you can’t be trusted so that they get more time with the children and more marital property, but you can work with an intelligent attorney and try to diffuse the situation and even use it to your advantage.
Gambling problem
Like with infidelity, if you have a gambling problem and your ex has evidence for it, they can use it in court to show that you aren’t responsible with money and you can’t be trusted with kids.
This is because gambling addiction can lead to financial and emotional instability, which makes you unfit to be a parent. When you have a gambling problem, you fail to provide a stable home environment for the children.
Again, you need a smart attorney to help diffuse the situation. For example, if your ex has old gambling receipts, you can argue that you are now reformed and no longer gamble.
Hiding assets
Since most people don’t want to share their assets with the partners they are divorcing, they try to hide as much as possible.
While you can sometimes get away with it, and you get to keep what you could have shared, it can seriously work against you in the event your ex or ex’s attorney gets wind of it.
Most states highly discourage this, and if you are caught doing it, you are likely to lose most of your assets. You also tend to lose your credibility in court, and you don’t get what you want.
To be on the safe side, you should avoid trying to transfer your properties to your relatives or selling them in the bid to hide them and keep them away from your ex.
If you don’t want to share the property, you should be smart about how you go about it. Talk to your attorney about it.
Being abusive
If you have ever physically, emotionally, or any other way abused your ex, and they have proof of it, such as a medical bill or anything, they can use this information, mainly to keep the kids away from you.
With proof of your abusive nature, they can show that you can’t be trusted with the children. In some cases, your ex can use this information to get a restraining order that bars you from seeing your children.
There are plenty of ways of walking around this, especially if the incident happened long ago. For example, you can get counseling services to show that you are working to manage your emotions better and become an overall good human being.
Social media posts, text messages, and emails
Whether a text message, email, or social media post, anything you put in writing can be used against you.
Many people think that when they can talk ill of their former spouses, then delete the messages and get away with it.
While sometimes you can do it, you should note that your ex’s divorce lawyers Fairfax VA, can access the information if they subpoena it.
To protect yourself, avoid being vulgar on social media, emails, or text messages. Don’t say anything that can incriminate you.