10 Things to Do Before You File for Divorce

Uncontested Divorce Mediation

Posted March 21, 2019

It is never an easy decision to divorce, but you should know that you are not alone in it. Every day someone sees the final block of their marriage crumble and divorce is their only path. Yet, for as difficult as it can be, uncontested divorce in Denver is a new beginning for everyone involved. Your marriage didn’t work out, and it will be the same for roughly 50 percent of all marriages. However, that doesn’t mean that you and your spouse can’t find happiness elsewhere.

If you have made the decision that it is finally time for the divorce that you have been moving towards all this time, you have the benefit of being able to prepare for it. There is no such thing as an easy divorce, but you can make it easier on yourself by making these preparations before you file.

Create Copies of Financial Records

Divorce is an emotional event, but the most complicated part of it is dividing up the assets and finances. This becomes further complicated if your spouse tries to hide those finances from you. Before filing, gather up all financial documentation and make copies of them. You may not have as easy access to these finances later if your spouse fights back.

Consider making copies of the following:

• Bank statements
• Tax records
• Loan and debt information
• Pension, retirement, and investment accounts

Document and Understand Marital and Non-Marital Assets

For those married for a very long time, non-marital assets, or assets gained before marriage, will not be as important. When you have assets that you gained before a marriage, those assets are considered yours alone. However, martial assets need to be split. The house, the cars, the vacation home – all will need to be split among the divorcing couple. It is best to make a list of everything that you have and note specific assets that may be considered non-marital property.

Understand Your Debt

In some jointly owned debt, the company is not bound by a divorce decree. As such, if your ex-spouse doesn’t pay, they can go after you for satisfaction. Before divorce, it may be worthwhile to put off filing in order to get any jointly owned debt under control. Most commonly, this means paying off credit cards. Other debts, such as loans or mortgages, can be negotiated in the divorce itself.

Make Practical Preparations

There are quite a few practical preparations that one needs to make before and during an uncontested divorce in Denver. After all, you are transitioning to a single lifestyle. These preparations can include:

• Opening a Post Office box
• Removing paychecks from direct deposit
• Opening your own bank accounts (though not moving money from a marital account into it)
• Changing estate plans

Know What You Are Willing to Give Up

All divorce is a negotiation. In fact, if you want to save a lot of time and money, successful mediation for divorce keeps costs low and the whole situation out of the courtroom. When heading into mediation, you must decide what is important to you and what you would give up. Are you attached to the house so the kids can have it for stability? You may want to consider offering to buy your spouse out of their share or it or giving up something they want in return.

Address Your Living Situation

If you are headed for divorce, it is likely that your living situation isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world right now. However, the actual filing for divorce will make things so much worse. Living together only presents a forum for arguments, so it is best to find somewhere else to live even if you’d like to keep the house for yourself. Leaving the house doesn’t mean you give it up, but it is best to either find a temporary apartment or stay with a friend or family member until the divorce is over.

Set Up Your Support System

Divorces are long, messy, and stressful. You don’t have to go through it by yourself. There is no reason you need to punish yourself like that. Before filing for uncontested divorce in Denver, tell some friends and family about it in order to create a support system for yourself. In your darkest hours, you can rely on them to listen and build you back up.

While it is wise to build a support system, it should also be noted that everyone will have advice for you too. Unfortunately, most of that advice will not be the same. It is best to consider all opinions, but ultimately, you need to make the right choices for you.

Anticipate Post-Divorce Finances

You probably won’t be able to maintain your current lifestyle after divorce. It is best to acknowledge that before even filing. If you want divorce but it isn’t an urgent matter, it may be to your benefit to save some money up for legal fees and for life afterwards. Don’t expect a windfall from divorce, and be realistic about your expenses. The benefit of filing for divorce first is you have time to plan. Use it to create a budget so you can know what to expect after the uncoupling.

Definitely Don’t Do These Things

There is a lot to do before a divorce, but you should also remember that there are a lot of things that can hurt a divorce as well. If you are heading for divorce, definitely don’t do these things:

• Move money around or attempt to hide it from your spouse
• Give “gifts” to of marital property to others
• Start dating – You’re not single until the divorce papers are finalized.
• Become spiteful
• Poison your children’s opinion of a spouse
• Rely on shared or electronic-only financial information
• Make large purchases

Seek Professional Divorce Help

If you are filing for divorce, then your biggest benefit is time. You have the time to prepare for mediation if there is hope for an uncontested divorce in Denver and you have the time to choose an attorney that best suits your needs if that doesn’t work out. You need not hire a divorce attorney right away, however. You simply need to know who to hire if you need to.

Need Help?

Are you headed for divorce? hopefully, this list has helped you prepare for it. However, if you really want to give an uncontested divorce in Denver a shot through mediation, contact Split Simple today to see how our divorce mediation experts in Denver can help.