We Think We Have More Legal Rights than We Do
Most of us enter the divorce arena with preconceived notions of the law has in store for us. Unfortunately, much of what society has conditioned us to believe in this regard is often inaccurate.
Misinformation about divorce law and the legal system is perpetually circulating among the public. This is primarily due to decades of legend and hand-me-down stories and myth.
Our friends and family mean well, but their knowledge is generally incomplete or erroneous because it can only be as accurate as the bits and pieces of information that they have gathered from other lay people. We all know how stories become distorted as they spread throughout a community.
Consequently, many spouses enter the divorce system believing that they have more legal rights than they really do. When they learn that the law will not give them the settlement that they were expecting, they become frustrated, angry, and difficult to deal with.
This leads to unnecessary conflict and delay because most divorces will ultimately settle in a way that is consistent with the way the law is, as opposed to what one or both of the parties wishes the law to be.
It is asking a lot to expect an early settlement when one of the parties entertains unrealistic, though perhaps understandable, expectations about his or her entitlement.
It takes time, patience, and willingness for the misinformed party to become able to adjust their thinking so that they can consider other settlement alternatives.
