Just reading the title of this blog, “Preparing For Divorce”, probably brings to mind some gold-digger who is just waiting for her chance to rob some poor guy blind, or some greedy businessman busily hiding all his assets so he can leave his poor wife penniless.
However, there are many situations where you need to be prepared if you sense divorce is on the horizon. For instance,
- What if you are living paycheck to paycheck? How will you afford an attorney if you don’t plan ahead?
- What if you have been a stay-at-home parent and have not worked in many years? How will you get ready to re-enter the workforce and earn a living wage?
- What if you and your spouse know a divorce is coming but want to minimize the damage to the children? What steps will you take beforehand to make that transition smoother?
It’s Smart To Prepare For A Divorce
In general, it’s much better to prepare for any major life event than not. Divorce is no different.
The more you prepare, the more time, energy, and money you will save. Imagine going to your attorney with all your necessary documents organized neatly. Your attorney will have an easier time and you will save money because your lawyer won’t spend hours sifting through documents looking for key pieces.
Remember, there’s also an emotional and mental side to divorce. You can choose to prepare for it, or you can get slammed by it when it hits you in the face later on.
Get Organized
Divorce is all about the paperwork, both legal and financial. You’ll need bank statements, income tax returns, credit card statements, investment portfolio statements, and other documents.
All this paperwork needs to be organized. Trust us when we tell you no attorney appreciates a client who comes in and just dumps a huge pile of documentation on their desk with the expectation that the attorney will sort it all out.
Getting organized also means making a point to understand all your finances, even if money scares you. You’re going to be on your own and you will need to survive. Not only do you need a game plan, but you also need to understand the money flow of your household so that you can see that it gets split fairly.
Communicate With Your Team
Remember that divorce has three components: financial, legal, and emotional. So, it makes sense that you need three people to help you through it: a financial advisor, an experienced attorney, and a qualified therapist.
You might be able to rely on family and friends for some of this. You may need more people along the way, such as a child psychologist to help with the transition for the children. Whatever the case, you’re about to experience a major transition and you need to communicate honestly with people who can help you.
Come up with a good financial plan for your post-divorce life with someone who knows money. Talk to a therapist or a friend for emotional support. Hire a good attorney who is caring and experienced and let them guide you through this process.
Now is not the time to try and take this on all by yourself.
Avoid Judgment And Set Goals
Life happens. Divorce happens. Instead of trying to judge yourself because of this event, accept that it is neither good nor bad. Focus on setting realistic goals for what you want the outcome of your divorce to be and what kind of life you would like to have post-divorce.
Preparing for a divorce may be the smartest thing you do. It will still be painful, but you’ll be in a better position to handle it by preparing for it.
If you are looking for a caring, experienced attorney with years of successful outcomes in court, Family Matters Law Group can help. We work with clients across the Atlanta metro area, and especially in Henry, Clayton, and Fayette counties.
Setting up a consultation is easy — simply call or use our convenient online contact form. It’s never too early to contact an attorney if you think a divorce is in your future. We look forward to hearing your story and fighting hard for your family and your assets.
