A leading family lawyer has shared his tips on what to do if your marriage is falling apart, advice on how to build good relationships and horror stories of when it all goes wrong.
Michael Tiyce, Director at Tiyce en Advocatenhas dealt with the chaos of failed relationships for more than three decades and believes the pressures of the skyrocketing cost of living have pushed many couples over the edge.
For couples getting married soon, Mr Tiyce said they should focus on one thing: “communication.”
“If you have a problem with your communication, make sure it improves,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Pre-marriage counseling is often a very good idea, and so is legal advice about the implications of marriage.’
Michael Tiyce, director of Tiyce and Lawyers, encouraged couples about to get married to consider premarital counseling and a financial agreement, often called a prenuptial agreement, to avoid a costly divorce.
He also shared what can happen when marriages fail in the worst way.
“There are all these horror stories of people trying to circumvent orders, like burning down a house to avoid a payment,” Tiyce said.
‘That is one of the most famous. THis husband destroyed the property and that is clearly a very serious contempt, so he spent some time in custody for that.
‘There was a case where the woman wanted her family dog, but the dog was a valuable breeding dog for the man.
“So the woman had the dog’s sex removed.
“She had to pay the man a little to account for the fact that she had reduced the value of that particular property, but she got her pet.”
Mr Tiyce recalled divorce horror stories, including a woman de-sexing a valuable breeding dog and a man burning down his family home
As for the cheapest option for settling divorces, Mr Tiyce believes that the best way to avoid an expensive lawsuit is to take preventative measures before tying the knot.
He recommended couples do this by signing a “financial agreement” – often called a prenuptial agreement.
In a strange twist, Mr. Tiyce said that it is actually parents who are most insistent that their children protect their assets.
“Especially now that the cost of living is under pressure, people rely on their mom and dad’s bank,” he said.
“One of the things we often see is mom and dad asking for deposits on their homes, but demanding that the parties enter into a financial agreement.
‘This way, the money they have invested is protected if their daughter or son divorces their partner later.’
Another way divorced people can save money is by prioritizing mediation over a lawsuit.
Mr Tiyce (pictured) found that money has become a major concern in marriages, with more and more couples signing financial agreements and relationships breaking down due to pressure on costs.
“Most experienced family lawyers will put as much energy as possible into trying to get people to reach a resolution without going to court,” Mr Tiyce said.
“Gather all your financial materials and take it to a family law attorney. Tell them to get you out of the drama you are in as soon as possible.
“Again, the best idea is open and honest communication, give your lawyer everything he asks of you and be sensible in your dealings with the other party.”