Preparing for Divorce: 4 Steps
Divorce Preparation
Making the choice to divorce your spouse can be a difficult one, but when there is infidelity or abuse involved or you simply no longer love one another, ending the marriage is often the best decision for everyone involved. You will face many changes in the coming months, but for now, there are a few steps you can take to prepare and feel more confident about this major life event.
1. Organize Your Finances
Because you and your spouse will no longer be sharing finances, it is a good idea to separate bank accounts now. If you and he or she can speak cordially, choose a time to sit down together and discuss how to split any shared accounts and how to continue to pay any joint bills, such as if you own a car or home together. Make copies of financial statements, including those from your bank and credit card companies, so you can work to create your own budget once you live on your own.
2. Create a Circle of Support
Divorce can be a highly emotional process, and facing it alone could make you feel helpless and isolated. Creating a circle of people you can trust implicitly may help you feel more emotionally stable as you proceed, especially if there are young children involved. Let your friends and family know what you need from them and accept their help instead of trying to handle every aspect of the divorce on your own.
3. Focus on the Future
If your marriage is ending due to infidelity or some other breach of trust perpetrated by your spouse, it is easy to become embroiled in those details and become mired in bitterness and anger, but focusing on the future instead of the past can help you face your upcoming divorce with dignity and a level head. Consider future career plans, whether you will remain in the home you live in currently and how you plan to share parenting duties with your ex once the divorce is final.
4. Obtain Legal Help
Seeking the advice and assistance of an attorney in the early days of your divorce can help you feel more confident about appearing in court and handling all of the legal aspects of the proceedings. Along with the support of friends and family, your attorney can become a trusted part of your team and provide you with the knowledge you will need to endure your divorce.
When your marriage ends, it can throw your world into a tailspin, but you do not have to face the future alone. Contact a divorce lawyer, like the attorneys at Robinson & Hadeed, today for further advice and assistance.
