Divorce Checklist
Except for extreme circumstances such as one spouse catching another committing adultery or discovering a severe addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling or shopping, most men and women do not wake up one morning and suddenly decide to divorce their spouse. In many cases, spouses contemplate the possibility of divorce for months or even years.
Often times, couples will seek out guidance from a religious figure they respect, a healthcare professional, another couple who has been through a similar situation or an experienced Colorado divorce lawyer such as the ones at the Harris Law Firm in Denver. One piece of advice that every good divorce lawyer will give a man or woman contemplating divorce is to get organized and create a divorce checklist.
Get Organized Sooner Rather Than Later – Divorce Checklist
Being organized financially (and otherwise) is one way to help your attorneys understand the details of your marriage, your assets and issues related to the children so that they can get you the settlement, alimony and child support to which you are entitled. On the very day you decide to pursue a divorce, you should begin a systematic process of getting your life organized as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here are some suggestions regarding getting organized for a divorce:
- Create some sort of filing system to keep track of finances
- Create a new email account and don’t share your password
- Change your cell phone’s voicemail password if your spouse knows it
- Get a copy of your credit score/history
- Get copies of all credit card statements and bank statements and file them
- Organize your important papers such as passports, birth certificates, social security cards, wills, etc.
- File all medical records for your children (this is especially important if abuse has occurred in the home)
- List the location of important documents, keys to safety deposit boxes, emergency cash, etc.
- Provide a list of emergency contact people in case you should have to leave abruptly and unexpectedly
- Maintain a list of incidents that could affect the outcome of a divorce or child custody agreement such as arguments with spouse, domestic violence, being late returning home with the children, not providing financial support as ordered by the court, etc.
There are many ways to get organized for divorce, but this list is a good start. Be sure to keep track of everything, even if you don’t see its significance. An experienced Colorado divorce lawyer at the Harris Law Firm may find relevance in something you don’t. The more information we have about your life pre- and post-separation, the better able we will be to fight for you and your children. Please contact the Harris Law Firm today to request a consultation.