6 Things You Should Do to Prepare for a Divorce

While breaking up a family is very traumatic for both parties, sometimes you are facing irreconcilable differences and find that the best thing to do for everyone is to part ways. If you have reached this stage but haven’t yet filed for divorce, there are steps that you can take to ensure you suffer minimal hassle, disruption and trauma once the dissolution process begins. This article highlights some of them.

1. Talk to a lawyer

It is important to find a qualified family or divorce lawyer within your state/ locale because different states have different laws. A lawyer will inform you what your legal responsibilities and rights are in the period during and after your divorce. Do not take any drastic steps, such as moving away from your matrimonial home, before speaking with an attorney. If you’re in Staten Island, you can visit http://theyostlawfirm.com/ for further assistance.

2. Make important document copies

It is good to keep proper records of property, investments and other financial transactions during the marriage. You will need to make copies of as many of these documents as you can find, whether your own, your spouse’s or joint property. These include check registers, bank statements, income tax returns, employee benefit documents, business financial statements, insurance policies, retirement account statements, credit card statements, social security statements, property and asset titles and loan/mortgage documents among others.

If your spouse runs his/her own business, try to glean as many details about the status of the business as you can, and make copies of any electronic data stored in the home computer.

3. Take inventory of your possessions

Make a list of major items such as artwork, appliances, furniture, jewelry, cars, real estate, etc. Be sure to check any safes or safety deposit boxes for valuables. It is important to know the extent of marital assets and liabilities as this will be called upon when the property is being divided.

4. Find out your household expenses and budget

If you don’t have a working budget already, go through your utility statement, credit card statements and receipts to determine what your expenditure looks like every month. You should know, at least on average, how much is needed to run the house – grocery shopping, utilities, children’s expenses, mortgage, car maintenance, home repair and maintenance, etc.

5. Plan for family debts

If you have any joint debt, e.g. mortgage or auto loan taken together, you need to determine how it will be paid upon dissolution of the marriage. One of the most difficult items to agree on is how to split up family debts. Consider ways you can pay down the debt before dissolving the marriage. Debts that were incurred by just one spouse or incurred prior to marriage (such as student loans) should be taken note of – these are passed on to that spouse since they are non-marital debts.

6. Know your spouse’s income

Finally, knowing exactly how much your spouse earns is important. If they are employed, this may be as simple as looking at their paychecks or pay slips. If there are other sources of income, such as investments or side businesses, try your best to track how much money comes in over several months prior to the divorce proceedings. There are steps you can take to help you find any hidden incomes. Talk to a qualified lawyer from http://theyostlawfirm.com/ for more advice.