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Comparisons may muddy the waters of divorce

by | Aug 18, 2016 | Divorce, Firm News |

There are many factors that can affect one’s decisions in life. It can sometimes be helpful to solicit advice from a variety of sources. California residents who are considering divorce may consider the experiences of friends or family who have already gone through the process to be valuable; however, sometimes the comparisons one makes with another’s situation may actually prove to do more harm than good.

It may be easy for one to become convinced that he or she should secure a better settlement after hearing a friend’s story about receiving a substantial settlement amount. One may begin to question whether a different judge will be more sympathetic, or a more aggressive attorney will fight harder. One may begin to feel as though he or she is compromising too much and giving too much ground to the other party.

Alternatively, the reverse may be true. If a friend or family member ended up paying less spousal or child support, this could lead a person to wonder why he or she is going to end up paying so much more. On the face of it, this may seem unfair; however, without being in possession of all the relevant facts, it is impossible to compare two cases that may, at best, bear only passing similarities.

Divorce is not only about money and possessions, which makes it impractical to compare one person’s experience with another’s. There are times when ending things smoothly and amicably may be of more importance to a California resident, in which case, one may be more prepared to compromise further than someone who is angry with his or her former spouse. Each party in the divorce must decide the most important thing to achieve for himself or herself with advice and guidance from appropriate sources.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Why It’s Really Bad To Compare Your Divorce To Other Divorces“, Jackie Pilossoph, Aug. 4, 2016

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