You already know that you want to end your marriage. You’re about to tell your spouse. While you know it can be a long process, you want to get started.
As you move forward, ask yourself these 10 questions. They can help you plan for the future and focus on what is important to you during the divorce process:
- Is the coming split for good, or are you interested in a legal separation with the chance to work things out?
- Are you going to tell your spouse to find a new home or apartment, or will you move out?
- On the other hand, are you interested in continuing to live together during the divorce to minimize costs?
- Should you tell anyone else about the divorce right away? Friends and family may help create a support network.
- What are your joint assets? You may have a right to a significant portion of the things you both own as a couple.
- What will you do financially during the divorce? Your income and expenses are about to change significantly.
- Do you have access to your joint funds and what additional expenses — like rent — do you anticipate?
- What joint plans do you have that need to be divided? For instance, you and your spouse may have a joint credit card or a joint phone plan.
- Do you have all of your important paperwork, like copies of your mortgage papers and your marriage certificate?
- What is the best way to break the news to your spouse? It’s often best to plan this out so it doesn’t come up in the heat of the moment.
If these questions have helped you start thinking about the process, it may be a good time to look into all of your legal rights.
Source: Huffington Post, “You’ve Decided To Leave Your Spouse — Now What?,” Emily V. Gordon, accessed Jan. 10, 2018