There aren't many things more overwhelming than facing a divorce. In addition to worrying about your children and financial situation, you might be stressed about taking time off work to attend proceedings, facing your soon-to-be-ex again, and what your friends and family will think. Unfortunately, enduring the rigors of your pending divorce gracefully is important to your success in court. Here are three mistakes that could cause problems later, and how you can avoid causing trouble:

1: Choosing To Represent Yourself

If you are like most people, you might be tempted to head to the law library when you hear that a professional divorce costs an average of about $15,000. However, representing yourself is usually a lot more difficult than most people realize. Here are a few reasons that you should let a family lawyer handle your case:

• Representing Yourself Will Take A Lot Of Time: Oftentimes, people who decide to represent themselves assume that the court will slow down or explain things as they work through litigation. Unfortunately, when you represent yourself, or work Pro Se, you are held to the same standards as everyone else in the courtroom. If you want your case to stay on track and end well, you might find yourself spending hours reading about legal statutes or filling out complicated forms. To save time, work with a lawyer who knows the drill.
• Lawyers Will Be More Objective: It isn't always easy to handle touchy subjects objectively, especially if you weren't the one who filed for divorce in the first place. One of the best things about working with a divorce lawyer is that they can tackle topics unemotionally, so you can make better decisions.  
• Losing Your Case Might Cost You More Money: That fifteen grand might seem like a lot of money, but how does it compare to the cost of replacing your entire estate? If you choose to work with a lawyer, you will be more successful in court, which can save you money in the long run. If you are concerned about keeping expenses low, you can always hire a lawyer to work hourly, which typically starts at around $75 per hour. 

As you file for divorce, remember that working with a lawyer and doing things the right way is like investing in your future. An attorney can walk you through the process and help you to get what you deserve.

2: Hiding Assets

Does your spouse really need to know about that safe deposit box or that offshore savings account? Although you might be tempted to conceal assets to keep them from being subject to distribution, being secretive can actually destroy your entire case.

Courts operate on the idea that if you are lying about one thing, chances are high that you may have lied about other things in the past. If you are caught hiding assets, it could delegitimize all of your claims. To make things even more complicated, the court might delve even deeper into your accounts, statements, and tax information to look for other problems with your claims.

To avoid problems, always be as transparent as possible about your situation. Talk with your lawyer about all of your assets, including stock options, retirement funds, withdrawn cash, and business ownership. It might seem difficult to put these items up for grabs, but your honesty might be awarded with a fair judgment later.

3: Bad-Mouthing Your Ex

After you find your spouse cheating with your best friend, it can be hard to say anything remotely nice about the person you once loved. However, bad-mouthing your future ex can cause an entirely different set of problems.

If your spouse is a public figure or a celebrity, talking badly about them could land you with a defamation suit. For example, if your future ex worked as a business executive, spreading the news about their affair could affect the stock price for the entire business. To lessen the financial blow and to protect their reputation, your spouse might file a defamation suit to set things straight.

Although you might be angry, try not to talk badly about your spouse during your divorce. If you need to confide in friends or family members, don't put anything in writing that could be used to prove you said it later. For example, don't post your feelings on social media where other people could see and record them. If you need to make a statement, talk with your family lawyer about how you should do it. He or she might be able to give you helpful advice that could protect you from future legal issues.  

Making the right decisions during your divorce might help you to avoid financial blows and emotional trauma.  For more information, contact an experienced family law attorney.