Outlining the First 5 Steps When you’re planning a vacation, you have to figure out how to get to your destination. You map out your route and make sure there’s a plane, train, or automobile that can transport you there. It may not be a trip to the Bahamas, but if you’re planning to get divorced, you still need to understand how to get there. You are setting yourself up for failure if you don’t educate yourself about the process. That doesn’t mean you have to know everything — there’s a reason why attorneys spend four years at law school. You can skip most of what attorneys learn, and focus on what is immediately relevant to your divorce. Attorney Chris Bruce has outlined what you need to know in 10 condensed steps. If you’re looking to learn divorce basics without wasting time, this list is for you. Here we outline the first five in Mr. Bruce’s guide. TO THE 10-STEP PROGRAM
IS YOUR CHILD BEING BULLIED?
WARNING SIGNS YOU CAN’T IGNORE
Somewhere along the line, our society accepted bullying as a social norm for children. “How can kids learn to cope with the real world if they can’t handle a bully?” is a common misguided justification. Kids who don’t meet the standards of what they are socially expected to be aren’t accepted among their peers. Rather, they are treated like emotional punching bags for anyone deemed more culturally acceptable. But the life of a child is truly a special force in this world, and just because someone differs from physical, social, or cultural normativity doesn’t give anyone the right to treat them poorly. Differences should be celebrated, and bullying needs to be eradicated. The best way we can start is by making an effort to notice bullying and put a stop to it. Here are three warning signs. HEADACHES AND STOMACH ACHES Anxiety is an emotional complexity that tends to manifest itself in physical ways. If you notice your child has stress-related symptoms like headaches, ask them about their emotional well-being. An open-ended question like, “I’ve noticed you haven’t been feeling well a lot lately, can you tell me more about that?” will help open lines of communication. CHANGE IN FRIENDS There are bound to be changes in friend groups throughout your child’s life, but that doesn’t mean parents shouldn’t take notice when this happens. When a child expresses disinterest in spending time with specific people, it could be a sign of bullying. Connecting with other parents who have children in the same circle could be a way to gauge the pulse of your child’s friend group. CONFIDENCE ISSUES Bullying has the potential to drop kids into a volatile cycle of confidence-killing self-talk. Bullying may produce external damage, but what goes on internally can be catastrophic for children. The continually progressing, technology-based environment our children live in nearly outpaces their ability to adjust and cope. Children often internalize their emotions, and when they are being bullied by someone online, their distress can be even harder to detect. The best way to be aware of how your children are feeling is to talk to them openly about their social interactions both online and offline.
STEP 1: GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER. Prepare yourself for divorce — and everything that comes with it.
STEP 2: LEARN THE BASICS OF LEVERAGE AND STRATEGY. Learn to avoid things that morph a straightforward divorce into an all-out and unnecessary divorce war.
STEP 3: LEARN WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT DIVORCE LAWS. Get a practical understanding of the basics of the laws that apply to you.
STEP 4: LEARN WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THE DIVORCE COURT PROCESS AND TIMING. Understand the timeline of events that will come after the divorce lawsuit is filed. STEP 5: GET ORGANIZED AND FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT. Learn how to securely gather and analyze information about your family’s finances to develop an initial understanding about what you want in a divorce settlement and in your life after the divorce. You’ll also need to determine what questions you need answered by an attorney. These steps are at the core of learning how to make your divorce the Best Divorce . By familiarizing yourself with each one, you learn what needs to be done, and when it needs to be done. These and the rest of the steps, with details about each one, can be found at brucepa.com/divorce-strategy . While you’re there, download Chris Bruce’s free guide to finding the Best Divorce.
Is your friend or client in need of a guide as they prepare for divorce? our divorce strategy book can help!
The book can be downloaded for FREE at GetOrganizedForDivorce.com.
Summer is the perfect opportunity to discuss these issues with your child because they likely will be relaxed, comfortable, and out of school, where bullying often occurs. Then they can approach the new school year with confidence and self-worth. What parent doesn’t want that?
If your friend or client lives in the South Florida area, we will mail them a hard copy of the book upon request.
2 • BrucePA.com
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