When you think about the Boy Scouts, the image that comes to mind are a bunch of clean cut, family oriented, Beaver Cleaver type young men, helping old ladies across the street. So what in the world can these "God, Family and Country" valuing young men teach women about the divorce process? The answer is simple. There is a nugget of wisdom that these young men live by, that women should take to heart when faced with the possibility of an approaching divorce. That nugget of wisdom is found in the Boy Scout motto Be Prepared. For the Boy Scouts, "being prepared" can mean, being prepared to help out in a medical emergency by knowing first aid and CPR. It can mean, being prepared in the wilderness while hiking or camping by bring the right equipment and supplies. Or it can even mean being better prepared for life's challenges by learning positive life skills and developing strong values while they are still young. But for women facing the break-up of their marriage and families, "being prepared" is of particular importance. Far too often, women are blindsided by a divorce request and find themselves completely unprepared. Gaining a favorable outcome in a divorce is won or lost long before your day in court. In most cases it is won or lost even before the word divorce is first mentioned. So how can women follow this advice and begin to "Be Prepared"? There are several things that you can do When your husband tries to hide marital assets or income sources to prevent you from getting everything you are entitled to Be prepared. Be prepared by becoming informed and knowledgeable about your family finances and securing copies of all important documents before hand. If your husband has shown a pattern of physical or mental abuse towards you or your children Be prepared. Be prepared by documenting each and every incident of abusive behavior, either in a personal journal or better yet, by law enforcement, medical or professional records. Once your divorce is finalized, you will need the job and employment skills to survive (and thrive) on your own. So Be prepared. Be prepared by taking classes, doing volunteer work to build needed skills and experience and polishing up your resume, while you are still marred. There are many, many steps that you need to take to "be prepared". But if you adopt the Boy Scout motto of "be prepared" as you begin to protect yourself and your children from a pending divorce, your final outcome will be far better. |
