Getting Organized for Divorce Will Save You Money - Here’s How
You need to be organized for divorce - here’s WHY and HOW.
Recently, in my Mindful Divorce Meetup, we looked at 3 ways to get organized for divorce.
Before we get to HOW to start organizing, let's look at WHY it's critical.
To save money and time - know where important financial documents are be able to access them quickly
Knowledge is power - you don't want to be at a power disadvantage
So you stay in control of decisions - this is your divorce and your future
How do you get or stay organized during the highly emotionally charged process?
Here are the 3 ways I shared last night in the Meetup:
Gather important financial and legal documents - link here to a list to get you started
Develop your divorce and post-divorce budgets
Prepare for attorney consultations
Let's break these down.
Gathering important financial and legal documents
Gathering important financial and legal documents can be overwhelming for multiple reasons.
Maybe you weren't the one who managed the finances during your marriage. Perhaps you're worried your spouse has hidden financial information (or will hide it as things get more tense). Or maybe you aren't so savvy with technology and all those passwords and logins make it feel impossible.
Whatever your obstacles are to gathering these important documents, you need to overcome them. The sooner you can gather this info, the more confidence you'll feel in whatever's coming down the road.
Developing your divorce and post-divorce budgets is essential to decisions that will have long-lasting impacts on you.
Develop your divorce and post-divorce budgets
If you’re asking what a divorce budget is, it’s when you take a hard look at your finances and your options for divorce - DIY, mediation, Collaborative Divorce, litigation- to determine how you'll pay for the resources you need to get divorced.
A post-divorce budget means figuring out how much money you'll need to run your household after divorce. You need to know how much this will cost so you can negotiate the division of assets, spousal, and child support.
Statistics show that over 50% of Americans don't budget. Divorce presents a lot of . . . opportunities. This is one of them. If you haven't been budgeting, it's time to start!
Prepare for attorney consultations
Preparing for attorney consultations is essential so that you fully understand your options and can select a best-fit attorney for your and your situation from the start.
I coach my clients to consider 2 important aspects when selecting an attorney: what's their approach and what are your biggest divorce issues. When thinking about an attorney's approach, you'll want to know their training and areas of expertise (Collaborative or litigation, etc.), their level of service (unbundled vs full service, etc.) and their experience with your biggest issues.
Which brings us to why it's critical to know your biggest issues. When you can pinpoint ahead of time where you think you and your spouse will run into conflict, you can consult with an attorney to find a good fit for your situation. Some of the biggest issues (or questions) folks face in divorce are:
What to do with the house?
Who will get primary custody and what will parenting time look like?
Who will pay spousal support and how much?
Poor communication and high conflict between you and your spouse
Here are some issues/circumstances where you'll want to work with a family law attorney who has particular expertise:
Military divorce
Inheritance
Financial shenanigans - spouse is hiding money
Children with special needs
Parenting concerns due to severe untreated mental illness, active addition, or abuse
Foreign visa or citizenship issues
Okay, I hope this article has made it clear WHY you need to be organized for divorce and has helped you get started on the HOW.
Don’t forget that working with a certified divorce coach can make each step of the organization easier and less stressful. Schedule a free consultation here to make a plan.
