Perhaps you saw this day coming. Maybe it was a surprise. Either way, your wife wants a divorce and you would like to know what to do.

• Do you lament until her divorce lawyer or family law attorney in Riverside serves you with the divorce papers?
• Do you pretend the divorce will not happen and she will change her mind?
• Do you sit on your hands and just take a wait and see approach?

If you know the marriage is over and beyond saving, there is a better way.

This guide has been created for the husbands who would like to prepare themselves for the divorce. That preparation includes personal, financial, and parental.

The “personal” is vital because if your wife is malicious, she can make false allegations designed to hurt you, your reputation and perhaps even your career. The financial part means financial security in the face if uncertainty. Divorce is not the wild west where your wife goes to court and whomever fights the dirtiest wins.

There are laws and procedures but you have to understand them and know how they may apply to you. Protecting your parental role and rights is the priority of every caring father, because what is more important than your child or children?

When your wife tells you she wants a divorce, your level of preparation dictates the intelligence of your choices. A professional Riverside divorce attorney recommends being prepared because knowledge is truly power.

Assume your wife consulted with a divorce attorney

Why is it smart to assume if your wife wants a divorce that she already consulted with the divorce attorney? The great majority of wives who consult with attorneys do so well before they proceed with the divorce and before their husband knows of their intention to file. Maybe that is coincidence but we doubt it!

Possibilities are good by the time your wife tells you she wants a divorce she already consulted with a divorce attorney in Orange County or has immediate plans to do so. If this sinks in, you are more likely to prepare yourself and not be blindsided with the games some wives engage in both before and immediately after they file the divorce petition.

Consult a family law attorney right away

Your wife probably knows her options because she consulted with a divorce attorney. Do you now want to know yours? Consulting with the divorce attorney is not just about picking the right one to hire. It is about educating yourself on the California divorce process and California divorce laws. Once you understand the way the divorce process works from the initial petition and response phase through and including the divorce judgment, you will make smarter choices and moves.

Do not accept a limited parenting role

Did you suddenly become a lesser parent because your wife wants a divorce? It sure feels like that, if you believe your wife, right? One of the smarter moves you can make if your wife wants a divorce is not to accept a limited parenting role. Wives who are restricted gatekeepers often try to force that limited parenting role on their husband. They do this most with young children. This may include isolating the children from you, disparaging you to the children, and asking you to move out or otherwise take a smaller role.

Do not do it. Maintain the status quo or even increase your participation in the lives of the children. Good co-parents do not do this, if your wife is doing it, she likely has malicious intent.

Protecting important documents from destruction

One more smart move you can make according to an experienced San Bernardino family law attorney is to protect important documents. In today’s world, we store most of our important documents in some form of digital space. This may be the Cloud or perhaps on the local drive to your laptop computer. You may even have it on one or more flash drives. Wherever you store important documents, safeguard them.

If you are also going through such situation where you wife wants a divorce, feel free to get in touch with a practiced divorce or domestic violence lawyer in Orange County at The Law Offices of Sood and Sood!