The Rules: How not to ruin your children when divorcing
So why else is planning so important?
When you’re going through a divorce or a child custody battle – or any kind of family law situation – you almost inevitably encounter surprises. There can be positive surprises – what author Nassim Nicholas Taleb might call “White Swan” events, a.k.a. “serendipities.” There can also be negative surprises – what Taleb might call “Black Swan” events. These are bad events that you didn’t plan to encounter. Here are examples of both kinds of events:
White Swan Event – Your ex-wife, who was planning to move to Minnesota after the divorce, finds a new job in town and decides to stay, thus substantially easing the child visitation and custody negotiations.
Black Swan Event – The day after the court assigns a guardian ad litem to your case, your company decides to downsize, and you get fired, thus jeopardizing not only your income stream but also your potential to win a fair custody arrangement.
So how can you plan for White Swans or Black Swans? The answer is: you can’t. You can only hedge against them and vaguely expect them to happen. Taleb suggests the following general strategy: arrange your life so that you can maximize the positive impact of white swans and minimize the negative impact of Black Swans.
That’s all well and good, in theory. But how do you do that in practice?
Again, the answer comes down to planning.
One smart way to start is to work with an attorney who has a tremendous amount of experience with your type of divorce or child custody or family law case. Call the Toussaint Law Firm, PC for a confidential consultation, and let us help you identify the potential strengths and weaknesses of your case.
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