As you ring in the new year, you may have added divorce to your resolution list.
Often dubbed Divorce Month, January often reflects the desire for new beginnings. After you have carefully considered and landed on divorce as the best option, the following three steps may help you get to the other side faster.
1. Gather documents
Throughout the process, whether using a lawyer or mediator, you and your spouse will need to provide various documents. The list often gets long but may include your marriage license, birth certificates mortgage papers, wills, insurance documents, passports, and tax returns. Ensure both parties have copies of the documents.
2. Know what you can afford
As you dive into all your debts, income and assets knowing that will get split during the divorce, make a plan for how you will live. Depending on the situation, you may experience a significant drop in income. If your spouse paid the bills, you will need to sit down and figure out a reasonable budget for moving forward.
3. Stay put, for now
While some situations require an instant separation, especially if it involves domestic violence, people amicably divorcing should stay in the home. Although you legally can move out, doing some may negatively impact your case. Leaving a spouse to pay the full mortgage may make them look like the more favorable person to receive a greater share of the property distribution.
Your decision to divorce did not come lightly, so you do not want to prolong it any longer than you have to. Preparing beforehand may help speed up the process.