For some individuals, they’ve seen divorce in the distance for a long time coming. For others, their marriage seems to end in a split-second, immediately thrusting them into the heart of a contentious divorce. Regardless of how the end of your marriage unfolds, you have to be ready for the divorce process ahead of you. If you aren’t, then you could be taken advantage of and miss key opportunities to position yourself for the post-divorce life that you want and deserve. That’s why now is the time to figure out your first and most urgent steps when entering your marriage dissolution. Hopefully by educating yourself on them and acting quickly to take them, you’ll enter the process more confident and ready to advocate for a fair outcome.
First steps to take when divorce is on the horizon
There’s a lot that you’ll have to do throughout the divorce process to officially end your marriage and set up the next chapter of your life. But here are some of the more pressing things you should take care of early on in your marriage dissolution so that you protect your interests as fully as possible:
- Get organized: If you enter divorce proceedings with your documents in disarray and unsure of the nature and extent of the marital estate, then you’re going to bumble about, costing yourself time and money. Being unorganized will also generate a significant amount of stress. So, make sure you have tax returns, bank and retirement account information, insurance policies, mortgage and loan documents, investment account information and credit card statements organized and ready to go. This will help you facilitate meaning conversations about potential resolution and give you a better idea of how to lay out your legal arguments.
- Set aside reserve funds: Your financial future may be uncertain during divorce. After all, the way in which your marital assets will be divided could be up in the air for a significant period of time. To give yourself the financial support that you need and to ease your financial fears, it’s helpful to build up several months’ worth of reserve funds, if possible. This will help keep you afloat if your spouse suddenly decides to cut you off financially.
- Secure access to credit: If you realistically can’t set aside the funds that you’d like to keep yourself afloat, then you need to ensure that you have access to credit so that you can pay for the things that you need. You obviously don’t want to go overboard here and load yourself up with debt, but you need a way to get by while you navigate the complexities of your divorce.
- Focus on your children: While your marriage dissolution might be painful for you, it can be utterly crushing to your children. You need to focus on their well-being by reassuring them about the future and answering any questions that they may have. The more composed you are throughout the process, the better you’ll be able to protect your children.
Be prepared to advocate for a fair and favorable divorce resolution
These are just some of the initial steps that you should take to prepare yourself for divorce. There are other issues that you’ll need to address along the way, so be sure to develop a sound legal strategy that gives you an advantage heading into your marriage dissolution. We know that can be stressful to think about but take comfort knowing that you can find assistance in preparing yourself for the road ahead in a way that protects your interests throughout the process.