For most people, divorce only happens after they have tried everything they could to preserve their marriages. At that point, they may have struggled to stay together for many months or years.
When you decide that a divorce is the right answer for you, there are a few things to do before you go to speak to your attorney. First, you will need to collect financial documents and a list of your assets as soon as possible. It is usually a good idea to put together this information before you suggest a divorce to your spouse.
Why? It may become much more difficult to access these records once you are in the process of a divorce. A spouse may change the passwords to their accounts, for example, making it difficult to print out account statements or to collect an accurate list of assets.
Another important thing to do is to be prepared financially. Divorces can be expensive, but this is primarily because you need to start supporting yourself on a single income or your savings. You should move some of your money into a separate account it is not accessible to your spouse. That way, you will always be able to have some money available to you throughout the divorce process, even if your other shared accounts are frozen.
Our website has more information on divorces and what you can do to be better prepared for yours and your first visit to your attorney. With the right preparation, you can make the transition from a married couple to a single person much easier.