Consulting a Divorce Attorney About Monetary Issues

Any divorce attorney will tell you that the biggest sticking point in any dissolution of marriage is, more often than not, based around money. In fact, it is one of the biggest reasons couples split up to begin with. Dividing financial assets and future income can be a challenging thing for a judge to decide, and neither party is likely to come away from the proceedings feeling as though they were treated fairly. If you are getting ready to go through a split, it pays to talk to a lawyer and get some preliminary ideas about what will happen regarding your finances.

Alimony and Child Support

This is usually one of the biggest issues looming over a split. A divorce attorney can give you some advice as to what to expect when it comes to these issues. If you are the primary income earner and there is no prenuptial agreement in place, there is a good chance you will wind up paying some degree of alimony to your former spouse once all is said and done. Perhaps it shouldn't be this way, but it is even more likely if you are the man. If there are children involved, it is to be expected that both parties will contribute to the child's financial well being.

Healthcare

When children are involved, their expenses must be covered. Sometimes this goes beyond whatever the child support itself covers. A divorce attorney can shed more light on what is likely to happen. Healthcare is a part of the consideration. If you are currently paying for insurance for the family, you will probably be expected to continue paying for your child's healthcare after the split. You may or may not be judged responsible to continue covering your former spouse. There will be other factors that the judge will use to determine this issue.

Lawyers

While you're talking to your divorce attorney, you may as well bring up the matter of fees. Someone will have to pay them. Some people have the idea that whoever hired the lawyer for themselves will be responsible for the fees, but this is not always the case. As with everything else involved in a contentious divorce, the judge will make a determination as to who is going to pay the fees. It could be split in some way, or one party may be responsible for paying (even if it is not their lawyer).

Many people are caught off guard by the judgments of the court following a split, especially when it comes to finances. The best advice is to be prepared for the worst and fight for the best.