1. Don’t sell your house right away.  People often list their homes for sale after they separate so that they can each afford to rent or purchase their own homes.  Then they can’t decide how to split the proceeds of the sale of the home.  This could leave hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting in a real estate lawyer’s trust account for months, or leave one person dragging the other to court to get their share of the money.  It is best to speak with your lawyer before you list the house for sale.

2. Don’t write up a deal yourself.  Although cooperating with your ex is great, writing Separation Agreements with them is not.  This often leads to Agreements that do not mean what was intended because what was meant and what was written are not always the same thing.  This can also lead to Agreements that are uncertain, which can be impossible to follow.  People often end up with Agreements that are not in accordance with the law, which means that it may be unenforceable and, if you’re married, you might have to fix it before you can get Divorced.

3. Don’t ask your kids what they want.  Although keeping your children’s preferences in mind is important, you don’t want them to feel like they have to choose between their parents.  If your children tell you what they want, listen to them and tell them that you and your ex are working on it and that it’s the parents’ job to work it out, not the kids.  Remind them that both of their parents love them very much. 

Lauri Daitchman is the owner and operator of Daitchman Family Law. She can be reached via email at Lauri@DaitchmanFamilyLaw.ca

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