Divorce Preparation: What You Need To Know

Divorce Preparation: What You Need To Know

Preparing for divorce get confusing and complicated. The emotions involved in the process can make it even harder to make sound decisions, take the next step, and plan for your new future. The first thing you may think of when beginning on this new journey is where to start and what your next step is?

This article will take a closer look into divorce preparation to help onto the right foot. Being prepared can help you in a lot of different ways, such as:

• creating a support system
• knowing your rights
• making the divorce more peaceful
• making the divorce more cost-effective

By understanding these preparations more in-depth, you’ll be prepared with the right information and plan to begin this new journey.

#1: Do Your Research

If this is your first divorce, you might have no idea where to start or who to turn to. There is also a possibility that you have many questions that you need answers to. Instead of turning to your friends or family members that may not be versed in divorce law, it’s always best to seek professional help. Hiring a divorce attorney comes with many benefits, which may include:

• gaining correct legal information
• understanding the divorce process
• understanding your rights
• relief in knowing you have a reliable source of information

This is a time during your divorce preparations to seek clear and concise answers to prepare yourself. People who are not professionals can confuse you and leave you with more questions than answers. By hiring a professional divorce attorney, you will know that the given information is correct and comes from the right source. By having the proper research and answers, you can better prepare yourself for the proceedings ahead.

#2: Take Responsibility and Participate

It’s not always easy going through a divorce. Sometimes there are specific circumstances that might have led to the divorce. Whether you played a role in the events leading to the divorce or not, it is essential always to take responsibility for actions you have made in the past and present. By taking responsibility for your actions, you show the court that you are willing to be held accountable for your actions.

Even though participation in a divorce can be a time-consuming process, you must always find a way to show up and participate, even if it’s not ideal. Being consistently absent and or late will show the court that the matter is not serious to you. It will present you negatively and add more time to the proceedings, making it challenging to resolve issues.

When you play an active role in your divorce, regardless of whether you want to be there or not, you show maturity, making the process go a lot smoother.

#3: Seek Emotional Support

Going through a divorce can be hard not just on you but also on your whole family, especially for the children involved. It’s important to seek emotional help and support for everyone during these times, even if you think you might not need it. Finding other people who might have been through a similar situation or can offer their support will help you be less emotionally reactive.

Controlling your emotions can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a safe place to express them. It’s best to ask friends or family to support you; if not, you can always seek the help of professionals such as therapists or counselors. These professionals can help you talk through your emotions instead of hiding them away. You can also learn new ways to cope with the stress and find ways to express your feelings outside of the courtroom.

#4: Organize Your Finances

Divorce proceedings can be costly, especially if they go on for longer than you have expected. When you get your finances in order, you can better plan how you will pay for all of the fees and expenses during and after your divorce.

Another reason to organize your finances is to prepare for your new life. If you relied on your spouse for a source of income during your marriage, this is the time to figure out how you can financially support yourself afterward. During this time, you should open new checking and savings accounts in your name to ensure that you no longer share a bank account and that your ex-spouse does not have access to your finances.

#5: Create an Inventory of All Personal Property

Personal and marital property becomes an essential aspect of discussion during a divorce. It involves the age-old question “who gets what?”. Start by creating a list of everything that you and your ex-spouse own together and property that is solely yours. Have evidence such as receipts to prove ownership, which will make the decision-making process faster and easier.

If you do not take the time to evaluate your property and what is yours or not, you could be blind-sided, which means that your spouse might take ownership of something that is rightfully yours without you knowing. Bank statements can also show proof of ownership as well as legal documents with your name.

The judge can rule that your property is either considered marital property or separate property. An example of marital property would be anything that you and your ex-spouse purchased together or used martial funds to take care of during your marriage, which might include:

• car
• home
• pet

Sperate property is something that was either given to you from a third party such as a gift or anything you owned before marriage and where marital funds were not used, including:

• jewelry from your mother
• inheritance you received before the marriage
• car
• home
• pet

#6: Focus on the End Goal

During the proceedings, it can be easy to get carried away and forget about the reasons behind your divorce. No matter the emotional and ups or downs, you must keep your eye fixed on the end goal. By doing this, you can help to eliminate stress and worry. Keeping your end goal in mind can help with divorce preparation by staying on track.

Divorce Preparation: Conclusion

Divorce preparation does not have to be a difficult task or one that you go through alone. By understanding these easy-to-follow guidelines, you’ll be prepared for the proceedings and your new future. Our divorce attorneys here at Koleilat Law are ready to get you started on the right foot and prepared for the journey ahead. Contact us today to speak with our professional divorce attorneys and check out our blog content to stay up-to-date on divorce information and resources.