If you’re convinced that your marriage is beyond repair and you’re headed for divorce, here are some steps to take.
Speak with a family attorney
Become aware of your legal rights and responsibilities. Assume you’re contemplating moving in with your parents until the divorce is finalized. Even for a few weeks, moving back to your parent’s home may be a big mistake from a legal standpoint. You could be giving up your right to the family home. A family lawyer can help you understand these complex issues. You can also read in detail about family law.
Make Copies of Documents
Make copies of anything you can find in your house, including tax returns, bank statements, check registers, investment statements, retirement account statements, employee benefits handbooks, life insurance policies, mortgage papers, and financial documents, credit card statements (make sure they’re not already saved somewhere on Google Drive), wills. If your spouse is self-employed, obtain as much information on their company’s finances as possible. Make copies of any financial data saved on your home computer and take them with you.
Take Inventory of household & family possessions
Examine the most essential things: furniture, art, gems, appliances, and automobiles. Also, search your home’s storage areas and your safe deposit box for valuable.
Know your spouse’s earning
It’s simple to inspect a pay stub if your spouse receives a steady salary; however, if your spouse is self-employed, runs a company, or receives any of his or her income in cash, keep track of the money coming in for several months.
Know the household budget & expenses
Keep track of your monthly cash outlays, too. If feasible, go through your check register for the past year and list out each utility, mortgage, and other household expenditure for each month. Keep track of the money you spend on a daily basis so that you can figure out your monthly cash expenses as well.
Plan how to manage the household debts
Before you get divorced, figure out your family’s debt and try to pay it down. Allocating marital debt among divorcing couples is a difficult issue to resolve. Take stock of your debt while determining whether any of it was incurred by one spouse or the other before the date of marriage. This would be considered “non-marital debt” and
Appraise your earning potential
If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while and are now focused on raising your kids, consider how your current employability compares to what you had before. Assess whether furthering your education would help you later in life.
Examine your personal credit history
If you don’t have credit cards in your own name, apply for them as soon as possible and start using them. If you have a bad credit history, try to settle bills now and improve your credit score before getting divorced.
Save money for yourself
Always have your own cash on hand. If your spouse leaves and stops paying bills, you’ll need to pay them until court-ordered temporary support can be established. You’ll require a retainer if you’re the one who will file for divorce. Plan to file for divorce as soon as possible once you’ve saved up enough money of your own.
Put your kids first
Keep your children’s routines as normal as possible throughout the divorce process. If you and your spouse can’t co-parent with the kids without bickering, establish a schedule for each of you to spend time with them separately. Continue to be active (or get involved) in your child’s school, sports, and social activities. Do not speak poorly of your spouse in front of the kids.
Be patient
The divorce process can be long and drawn out, so try to be patient. Don’t make any major life decisions during this time, such as buying a new house or quitting your job. Instead, focus on taking care of yourself and your family.
