While no one is likely ever prepared for the emotional aspects of a divorce, there are ways in which you can prepare yourself legally and financially. Being prepared for these areas will help you to better handle the divorce and reduce some of the stress and conflict that you may feel if you were to simply rush through the divorce process. By planning ahead you can make much better decisions and begin to prepare yourself for your new life. You also have the opportunity to avoid many of the pitfalls that some have made when divorcing.

The first thing that you should do to prepare for your divorce is to get together all your paperwork. There will be a lot of information required for your divorce and all this information at once can seem very overwhelming. The things that you should gather include the names, addresses, phone numbers and account numbers for all your assets and debts. Bank accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages, vehicle title information and stocks and bonds should all be listed as well as your income tax statements covering the last three years. You should also gather all information pertaining to prenuptial agreements if applicable, wills, power of attorney and any deeds that you may have.

Once you have gathered all your paperwork you will be able to determine how much your net marital estate is worth. Your marital estate includes everything that you acquired while you were married. The net worth will be the total of all your assets after you subtract your debts. This amount will give you a basis for what you can expect to receive when your divorce is finalized.  
Keep in mind that during divorce many people find that their credit is affected in an adverse manner. While you are preparing for your divorce it is a good idea to obtain a copy of your credit report to see how your credit stands. If you currently have poor credit then strive to pay down your debts as much as possible. If you do this while you are still married you stand a much better chance of keeping a good credit report after your divorce, giving you the leverage that you may need to finance a new home or car after your divorce. If you do not have credit at all then you can apply for a small balance, low interest credit card. Do this in only your name and it will allow you to establish a small amount of credit for after you are divorced. You should also strive to not add any debts. This is true for both you and your spouse. Keep only the debts that you have now and do your best to pay them down before your divorce becomes final.

You may also want to open a checking account in your name if you do not already have one. Be sure that you do not add your spouse’s name to this account. This will give you the opportunity to safeguard your own finances without worrying about your spouse taking the money out. If you want to keep the account a secret from your spouse you can have your bank statements sent via a Post Office box instead of your home address. Do keep in mind that any money you put into an account before your divorce is subject to be divided during the divorce process.

Consult with an attorney during all phases of your divorce from the preparation to the final decree. This will ensure that you are prepared and protected from anything that may take your divorce off track. Having legal counsel is vitally important particularly if you have a large amount of assets built up.

The best thing to keep in mind while preparing for your divorce is to cooperate with your spouse as much as possible. This will make the entire divorce process run much smoother and will alleviate much of the stress that accompanies divorce.

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