6 Ways The Coronavirus Can Infect Your Divorce Case – Guest Post

At a time when coronavirus has affected almost every facet of our lives from finances to health, education, economy, it is hard to imagine relationships immune to this havoc. This situation is worse for couples who are on the verge of getting divorced. One example is the closing of all courtrooms for all cases except for emergencies. This tends to delay the start of divorce proceedings and the applications for provisional support and custody will also be impacted.

If you have got stuck in any situation, here are six things that you need to revisit along with the respective strategies to overcome them.

1. The Divorce

Being a legal process, the success or failure of divorce depends on the proper functioning of the court. The courtrooms across the nation have been dealing with the situation in various ways to ensure the minimum effect on the safety and health of lawyers, applications, and other staff.

This tends to effect:

• Filing of petitions and motions
• Delay in case hearings and trials
• Process of getting prove-ups for divorce finalization

Some courts have already come up with inspiring ways to perform proceedings by using technology to allow the e-filing of documents. This also enables divorcing people to take part in court proceedings through video conferencing. Though not all courts are heavily exposed to technology and some cases may present complex scenarios, we can hope for more improvement in the coming days.

How to manage: Consult your divorce lawyer in San Diego about how this is going to impact the incurring cost and cases like a significant change in the timeline, and effect on the post-divorce life. If you are not already using ADR, think about whether it seems feasible considering your distinctive issues. Utilize this spare time to discover new ways to streamline things and reduce associated costs.

2. The Finances

Another most important part of a divorce case is the distribution of assets, which may be linked with the investment or retirement accounts or business interests. If you running on debts, it becomes more than necessary to determine how they will be settled further.

Almost every person globally has witnessed a steep decline in the returns irrespective of the avenue where the money was invested in. In addition, the prevailing vagueness refers that standards may cease to fluctuate for a considerable amount of time, making it unbearable to precisely predict the future. Discussing your financial clearance amidst all this will get harder. While markets have factually rebounded from profound deteriorations, it’s always recommended to prepare yourself for a prolonged session of reduced prices.

How to manage: Prepare a list of domain experts that can help you come up with the best possible settlement irrespective of the consequence of the indecision. You can also explore rebalancing and tax planning opportunities. Although stocks and mutual funds are facing a downturn, you can redeem them and instantly reinvest a similar fund so that when the market bounces back your portfolio will end up less affected. Make sure you have sufficient amounts of cash for a prolonged recession and inspect your credit report.

3. Your job and bill payments

The probability of losing a job increased in times of recession. While there is no prediction on how the recession will last, there is an increased likelihood of employees getting laid off which tends to affect almost everything else.

A person losing their job or facing a histrionic change to their income amidst a divorce will affect temporary support payments and confound negotiations.

How to manage: One option is to work harder to increase your family’s total monthly income. Both the partners will be better off with more money in hand. You can also discuss with your San Diego divorce lawyer to bring down the legal charges. Try to learn new skills that would eventually help you in coping up with the situation.

4. Your house plans

If you are looking to sell your house amidst the divorce proceeding, it is important to understand that this is something very complex and the decision shouldn’t be taken in haste. Besides the social and emotional elements of doing this, you would have to balance the monthly expenditure to maintain the house, pay the bills, and manage other things along with relocation costs.

How to manage: If you choose to keep the house, discuss with your partner, divorce attorney in San Diego, and a Certified Divorce Lending Professional to check if it can be refinanced at lower interest rates. On the other hand, if choose to sell, work with our realtors to organize virtual tours to every stakeholder safe during the process.

5. Your Children

Since the outbreak of coronavirus, kids have been staying within the home to limited risk exposure. This lack of school and other recreational activities has been making an adverse impact on parenting time and transitions. In most divorce cases, courts have asked both parties to ensure regular parenting time which impacted the overall situation of children in a negative manner. This makes it difficult for parents to choose the right path for their children’s present and future well-being.

How to manage: When it comes to dealing with kids, it is recommended to stay calm and spend some quality time with them before you guys part your ways.

6. Your family’s safety and health

At a time when you are following social distancing norms and staying home, make sure you take such decisions mutually. If your children are spending separate time in two households, people living in both homes are likely to get infected.

Make sure you talk to your partner so as to come up with the best possible solution to avoid exposure to the harmful virus.

How to manage: It would be very difficult to share space with someone you don’t want to live with. To overcome anxiety and frustration, get involved in some physical activity. You can also join a stress management program online. One great option is to choose a household activity that you like the most.

The Conclusion

For divorcing couples, coronavirus has made the situation worse due to several restrictions imposed across various activities. This is where it is suggested to keep your mind calm and look for activities that ease mental and physical exhaustion. This would help you cope up with the ongoing situation without affecting your well-being.

Author’s Bio – Mr John Smith is a leading family lawyer in San Diego and helped many couples in a wide range of divorce cases in the region. He is actively involved in publishing insightful information related to family law and its various elements.