Three Tips To Follow Before You Talk To Your Spouse About Divorce
Not all marriages are meant to last forever, but it's important to be proactive if you suspect that you may be going through a divorce soon. Don't let the stress or emotional turmoil lead you into procrastination. This can hurt you in the event divorce does occur. Instead, begin planning ahead so you are ready to face the worst, should it occur. The following tips can help.
Tip #1: Create Your Own Emergency Stash
This isn't an excuse to drain the joint bank accounts, which will just reflect poorly on you during the divorce proceedings. What you do what to do is make sure you do have a small emergency fund in just your name. If you earn a wage, then consider funneling your personal paychecks into a separate account and only placing the amount for shared expenses into the joint account. Not only do you need funds to cover the divorce expenses, you also need to make sure you have access to cash for living expenses in the event you have to move out.
Tip #2: Secure All Important Documents
You may have very little control over the events that immediately follow the "divorce talk" with your spouse. You may even find yourself unceremoniously kicked out of your home. For this reason, take some time before you broach the subject to make copies of all important documents. This includes financial records, such as mortgages, loan paperwork, titles and deeds to shared property, and bank account information. You also want to make sure you have copies of personal records, such as passports and birth certificates, health records, and education records. Keep these in a safe place, such as at your office or in a safe deposit box.
Tip #3: Protect Your Children
How the topic of divorce is approached is highly personal, but you may want to make plans to ensure the kids are away when you first talk with your spouse. If possible, have them stay at a neutral third party's home, such as with a friend. Hopefully you and your spouse can both remain calm and will work in the best interest of the children when determining custody. Otherwise, be prepared to immediately legal intervention and a court ordered custody agreement. The more quickly you can act to create a sense of routine and normalcy in your children's lives, the better. Contact an attorney like William K Holman as soon as possible so you can handle this difficult time as gracefully as possible.