In family law matters, timing is of the utmost importance. There is a time to act and there are times to refrain from action.
Simple decisions you make about timing your divorce and custody actions have implications for the rest of your life. Failure to act can lead to parental alienation. Relationships with your children damaged now may remain fractured forever. Conversely, relationships carefully preserved today can mean a rewarding future for you, for your children and eventually for your grandchildren. You are truly defining your legacy.
The Dangers of Poor Timing
In a high-conflict divorce, a decision to talk with the other parent can lead to conflict that escalates with devastating consequence. You can and should avoid these timing errors.
For example, conflicts that arise around parenting time or visitation often become flashpoints. Even a request that the other parent respect court-ordered parenting time can lead to conflict. Yet, the same request made in the context of a court hearing can have results entirely supported by the full weight of the law.
For an unmarried father, the consequences of a timing error could be permanent. Failure to establish paternity within a limited time span can mean you lose access to your children forever. For all practical purposes, that branch of your family tree could become forever broken.
Even in filing for divorce, timing matters. Filing before you have a plan to manage finances during divorce can leave you penniless. Waiting to file against a faithless spouse gives them opportunities to drain bank accounts and divest assets before an automatic temporary injunction freezes assets. Waiting for the other party to file can cost you the opportunity to select venue where multiple jurisdictions are involved.
Get the Legal Counsel You Need Now
If you see signs your family relationship faces a critical change, get legal counsel now. Don’t wait for someone to blindside you. Never let personal conflict escalate so that it impairs your legal position. Contact Tulsa.Dads.Law today to discover the best time, manner and place to fight for your rights as a man and as a father.
