Divorce often looms on the horizon for quite some time before a couple finally pulls the trigger. In many cases, people are emotionally prepared for the process by the time they file the documents. But emotional readiness and practical readiness are two different things. Ending a marriage is a tricky proposition, and creating a divorce strategy ahead of time often helps people through the process.
How To Create A Divorce Strategy
You have many things to consider when creating a divorce strategy. Each situation is unique, so not everything applies equally. Your choices depend on many factors: length of the marriage, whether you have children, employment status, and other needs, among countless other considerations.
That said, here are common steps to consider when creating a divorce strategy.
1. Prepare Ahead of Time
In most cases, divorce doesn’t come as a shock. As we said, people often consider it for a long time—and they should; it’s a life-changing decision. But this also provides the advantage of being able to prepare. Take steps to set up a divorce strategy ahead of time.
Meet with an attorney, start saving money, and figure out exactly what you want and need from a divorce settlement. You can even plan for after the divorce.
Related Reading: A Guide to Getting Divorced In Oregon
2. Know the Laws in Your State
Divorce laws vary widely from one state to the next. There’s no excuse for not knowing them.
In fact, not knowing the rules in play can cost you in child custody, spousal support, and other areas.
For example, Oregon is an equitable distribution state, unlike our neighbors Washington and California, which follow community property statutes.
This affects how the court divides assets and debts in a divorce settlement. As such, it can have a substantial and lasting impact. This is just one example of how laws differ from state to state. Custody, child support, and other areas are regulated differently depending on where you live.
Related Reading: What is Equitable Distribution?
3. Get Your Finances In Order
Divorce often costs quite a bit of money, which probably doesn’t come as a surprise. Whether we’re talking about a simple, do-it-yourself split or an epic knock-down-drag-out courtroom trial, expenses come up at every step. Even just filing the initial paperwork comes with a fee.
Every appearance, hearing, and motion adds additional expenses. It’s even more if you hire an attorney. Part of creating a divorce strategy should include saving money so you don’t get blindsided when fees pop up.
Related Reading: How Is Debt Divided?
4. Organize
Are you good at juggling things and keeping details straight? Good, you’ll need to be, as you navigate divorce. It’s like lobbing a hand grenade into your schedule.
You have appearances to make, meetings with your attorney, mediation appointments, and all kinds of places to be.
There are forms to fill out, documents to share and collect, assets to divide, and more. It may initially seem like a headache to keep everything straight, but being as organized as possible is a key step in creating a divorce strategy. It only benefits you and your case.
Related Reading: Mistakes Men Make In Divorce
5. Gather Financial Records
Piggybacking on the last step, one of the most important places to organize is your financial records.
Splitting up assets and debts has a huge impact on your economic footing moving forward. As such, you should prepare. During this stage, you need to disclose all of your assets.
This includes:
- Bank accounts.
- Pensions.
- 401(K)s.
- Property.
You must also list all of your debts like:
- Mortgages,
- Car payments
- Student loans.
- Credit card balances
Know as much as possible about your collective financial state. For example:
- How much do you make?
- How much does your spouse earn?
- What property is in each of your names?
Understanding your finances is a significant part of creating a divorce strategy.
Related Reading: Ways to Save Money on Your Divorce
6. Create A Divorce Strategy For The Kids
Divorce is tough on everyone, but it’s especially important to look after the most vulnerable participants: your children.
Emotions run high when a case involves kids and people don’t always think straight.
Learn about child custody laws in Oregon. Find out how the state calculates child support and dig into topics like visitation and parenting plans.
The legal stuff, however, only forms part of it.
You have a lot going on, but so do they. Children need support during the process. They need child care and someone to look after them, just like any other time.
Additionally, they face added pressures and emotions. It’s vital to keep an eye on them, notice what they need, and let them know they’re loved even in this stressful time. Maybe that’s checking in regularly, but maybe it requires something more significant.
7. Safeguard Your Credit
During a marriage, you and your spouse enter into many joint financial arrangements. You share credit cards, sign for car loans, and put your names on mortgages.
Divorce doesn’t automatically change any of these agreements, which matters because it can affect your credit.
Divorce settlements often detail which spouse remains responsible for which debts. They usually include provisions requiring your ex to make certain payments or even refinance a loan to remove your name.
That’s great if it happens, but if it doesn’t, you may take the hit.
It hurts your credit, and in some cases, if your name stays on a bill, creditors will come after you to collect. Part of creating a divorce strategy should entail keeping an eye on your credit.
Related Reading: Can You Make Major Purchases During a Divorce?
8. Create A Support Network
During what can be a chaotic, emotional, trying time, it’s important to look after your mental health.
A support system is a big part of that. Know who has your back, where to turn to for both legal and personal advice, and even financial help.
You may need someone to watch the kids while you’re in mediation. Or maybe you just need a friend to have a beer with and remember what normal feels like.
Friends, family, loved ones, and even support groups are often vital in divorce. Taking care of yourself is essential.
Related Reading: Should You File for Divorce First?
9. Hire A Divorce Lawyer
More resources are available for DIY divorce than ever before. In reality, you can end a marriage with little more effort than downloading, filling out, and filing the appropriate forms.
But it doesn’t take much for a marriage dissolution to get complicated. Even if you don’t hire a divorce attorney, consider exploring your options.
This is especially true if your spouse has representation. An experienced attorney helps create a divorce strategy and guides you through the process. Sometimes you need a skilled pro in your corner.
Related Reading: DIY Divorce in Oregon
10. Plan For The Future
Creating a divorce strategy isn’t always just about the divorce. When you’re caught in the middle, it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day fight.
But divorce is about more than right now; it’s about the future. Don’t lose sight of that, even if all you want is to get through and put this behind you.
Practical concerns include changes in tax status, child custody and support, and finding a new place to live. You need to address all of that, of course. But don’t forget to take time to look for the positives and consider how your life will improve.
Even if it’s not much, set aside a little time to think about and explore the possibilities. It can do wonders for your frame of mind.
Ending a marriage represents a titanic shift. Ideally, divorce is a positive step, but that doesn’t mean the process isn’t chaotic and stressful. There’s conflict to attend to, forms to file, bills to pay, and unexpected twists and turns.
Creating a divorce strategy ahead of time often helps smooth out the process. You’ll still encounter unexpected bumps, but preparation can keep them to a minimum and help you handle them when they do pop up.
Related Reading: Should I Move Out During Divorce?