While we all head into matrimony with the idea of long-time wedded bliss, the picture can look very different a few years down the road. With over half of all marriages in the western world ending in divorce, it is not surprising for married persons to have a good divorce attorney in their hip pocket. But just in case you don't have one yet, here are some divorce tips you can take to heart.
You will need to make sure you have all your records in order and in a safe place, including credit applications, trust deeds, marriage and guardianship documents, and all personal and joint financial records. These will be vital for any divorce proceedings. This includes any debts you still owe that are shared as well as assets acquired together with your spouse during the marriage.
If your marriage is already falling apart and you are concerned about your spouse acquiring more debt or draining out the bank accounts, make sure to protect yourself by cancelling all shared credit card accounts, checking accounts, and savings accounts. If the divorce judge grants responsibility for some of the credit card debt payments to your ex-spouse, keep track of the proceedings.
You will probably want to change the beneficiary in your will and life insurance policies. While you are doing this, try to work out between you, your spouse, and the children who gets to own what if anything happens to either one of you, otherwise your spouse could unintentionally get everything. Without making the proper arrangements, your estate will probably end up in probate court.
All of the above issues are simply about taking the time to take inventory of what your shared life looked like before the divorce proceeding begin. To save lots of time and money, before heading out to hire a divorce lawyer, try to come to an agreement as much as possible about the divorce settlement details as you possibly can. The less divorce lawyers have to do, the cheaper and easier it will be for both of you.
