Making a Divorce Checklist
By: M. Scott Gordon
When you are in the process of filing for divorce in Chicago, you are likely to face a number of daily complications that were not present in your married life. To prevent your divorce from adding unnecessary frustration to your daily activities, it is important to think carefully about certain steps you will need to take in order to get through the divorce process as efficiently as possible. According to a recent article in the Huffington Post, making a divorce checklist can be a particularly good idea. By making a Divorce checklist that runs the gamut from small daily tasks to large-scale financial responsibilities, you can avoid problems and complications.
What should you put on your Divorce Checklist? The article makes some useful suggestions that can help divorcing spouses throughout the Chicago area.
Check Your Credit Report
For many couples, there is a relatively good chance that you have debts you have forgotten about or debts you did not know existed in the first place. In some cases, one spouse (during the marriage) will apply for and use a credit card in the other spouse’s name. Learning about an account like this after your divorce can hurt you in the short term as well as in the long run. As such, you should get a copy of your credit report as soon as you think about filing for divorce. That way, you can ensure that you do not have any surprise debts. And once your divorce has been finalized, you should pull your credit report again. It will be important to make sure that your ex-spouse did not apply for any loans or lines of credit in your name during the divorce process.
Obtain a New Mailing Address
You do not want your soon-to-be ex to have access to your mailings. To be sure, you will be getting mail that you will want to remain confidential. For instance, your Chicagoland divorce lawyer might send you something through the mail that should be private. To ensure that your spouse no longer opens your mail as she or he did during your marriage, it is a good idea to get a P.O. box and have all future mailings directed to that address.
Change Your Passwords
This might sound obvious, but most spouses share internet passwords with one another—for email, social media platforms, bank accounts, and other online logins. As soon as you decide to file for divorce, change those passwords. Do not pick a password that your spouse might be able to guess. It is also a good idea to open a new email account, too.
Document Your Assets
Before a formal separation and certainly before your divorce process begins, it is important to document your marital assets. Make a list and take photos. You do not want to end up in a position where your spouse decides to hide assets, leaving you with an unfavorable property settlement. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act governs property division in our state, and you should make sure that the court has all relevant information before dividing your marital assets.
Hire a Dedicated Chicago Divorce Lawyer
After you have made your checklist, do not forget to hire an experienced Chicago divorce attorney. Having an experienced advocate on your side throughout your divorce proceedings will help the process to go as smoothly as possible. Contact Gordon & Perlut, LLC today to discuss your divorce and to learn more about your options.