How To Handle A Second Divorce?

By Mia Evelyn

20 January 2023

Divorce is difficult enough without having to deal with the financial fallout of your first divorce. When you're not sure what to look out for or how to best prepare, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and worried about doing everything right. However, you must realize that no matter how long your marriage lasted or what type of divorce it was, there will always be some common pitfalls ahead of you. If these lessons don't help guide your thinking and make decisions easier this time around -- or even if they only provide a few extra tips -- then at least now you'll have something else to bring up when friends, ask how their divorces went down (spoiler alert: better than yours).

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Watch out for the common financial pitfalls of divorce.

As you prepare for your second divorce, you may be tempted to let your emotions get in the way of making financial decisions. While it's always important to maintain a level head when making any kind of major decision, it's particularly critical here. This is because divorce can have a profound impact on your finances—and if you don't pay attention and make smart choices, the consequences could be dire.

You'll keep paying the price of your first divorce

You'll keep paying the price of your first divorce. You'll still have to pay for the cost of your ex's legal fees and support, as well as their children’s expenses. You will also have to cover your living costs when you do not live with either partner anymore (and if any children remain with them). Finally, you may need to continue paying for a new partner’s expenses if they move into your home after the separation ends (for example childcare).

Don't rely solely on what you think you know about divorce law.

Don't rely solely on what you think you know about divorce law. Your friends or family members might try to tell you otherwise, but they're probably wrong: They might know how things worked in their relationships and assume that applies here, but sometimes even experts (or those who specialize in certain areas) can make mistakes when they're trying out new ideas or approaches; so don't take anything at face value!

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Any time you and your ex agree, get it in writing.

Get everything in writing. Write down every agreement that was made between the two of you regarding custody or visitation rights as soon as possible after signing them (or at least before forgetting about them entirely). If something becomes contentious later on down the road—and it will—you'll be able to refer back to those agreements instead of relying solely on hearsay or secondhand information from other sources such as lawyers' offices.

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Try to separate your children from your breakup as much as possible, no matter how difficult that is.

You may think it's best for your children if they are kept away from the details of the divorce. However, this can be extremely difficult to do if you don't have a healthy relationship with them. Your children will likely feel hurt and confused by their parent's actions, which can make them feel angry or hurt themselves.

Conclusion

So, here's the bottom line: You're not alone, and you don't have to go through this alone. As a divorcee yourself, it's easy to forget that others have been through what you're going through now. You may not know them personally yet -- but once they hear about your situation, they'll likely be able to offer some helpful advice based on their own experience with divorce.

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