It was an alarming phone call. After months of struggling with alcohol addiction, your son is in a sad situation. Your daughter-in-law actually put him on a plane and flew him home. She had called and warned you of the increasing frequency of his drinking problem, but when she actually said that she was sending him home you knew that you had a situation that was even worse than you imagined.
The fact that the couple had only been married four years but that they had opened a business together made the complications even more difficult to manage. On the one hand you find yourself trying to help your son deal with his addiction, on the other hand you find yourself trying to understand the implications of a possible divorce for business owners. The fact that your daughter-in-law is still living in the rather expensive Florida beach home and office that they were in the process of purchasing, and that your son is now with you in the state of Oregon further complicates matters.
While you attempt to deal with the emotions and the counseling, and possible rehab, that your son needs, your husband is doing his best to figure out if he can find a local lawyer who was familiar with divorce for business owners. The fairly new business relied on the technical skills of both your son and his wife, so while their marriage was falling apart, the soon to be divorced couple was also facing the real possibility that they might need to file for bankruptcy as well. You are surprised to see how overextended the couple is in the loan on the house that also served as their business, and your husband fears that the possible bankruptcy could make a horrible situation even worse.
Without children in the failing marriage, you are glad that you do not need to help your son work through the complexities of child custody lawyers, but at times it seems like this business of dealing with a divorce for business owners is nearly as complicated. It seems that every day you have a few more questions to ask an attorney about divorce and, at the same time, you have a growing number of questions about the business that may require a bankruptcy attorney. The decision between working with two separate firms or finding one larger firm that can handle both kinds of cases needs to be made soon so that you can help your son begin the process of working through this difficult situation.
Do You Know What Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer?
Although some people are fortunate and find that when their marriage ends they are dealing with an uncontested divorce, it is far more common that a divorce is far more complicated. Knowing what questions to ask ahead of time, however, can help you make the most of a difficult situation. It is likely that your attorney will start with his or her own list of questions, but knowing what your questions and concerns are is important as well.
Consider some of these facts and figures about divorce:
- Western states typically have the highest marriage and divorce rates, followed by the South. The Northeast has the lowest marriage and divorce rates.
- Divorce rates for couples over the age of 50 have doubled in the last 20 years, according to a Bowling Green State University study.
- 41% of first marriages in America end in divorce.
- 60% of second marriages in America end in divorce.
- Living together before marriage is no longer a strong predictor of divorce, according to a 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
- The top five reasons for divorce in America are: communication problems, betrayal or infidelity, financial problems, abuse, and loss of interest.
Whether you are looking at getting a divorce for business owners or you are looking to get out of an unhealthy relationship, seeking legal advice as soon as possible is always a good plan. Asking your parents for advice and help can be a start, but your mother and father are likely not experts on the specifics of divorce proceedings. Divorce is never easy. When financial problems and bankruptcy are involved, the situation can be even more difficult. Are you ready to ask for help?