Important Things to Consider Prior To Announcing Your Divorce to your Spouse

Important Things to Consider Prior To Announcing Your Divorce to your Spouse

By Donna Cheswick, CDFA® On 08/16/2019

Divorce is a very emotional and costly process. It can cause dramatic changes in lifestyle, destroy relationships, and leave a family emotionally devastated. Take enough time to carefully consider all aspects before you make a decision that will most certainly change your life. 

Seek the help of a family therapist.  Contemplating divorce can be a very emotional time and seeing a family therapist to help you work out some of the emotional issues you may be going through can be very helpful. Often unhappiness, anger, and frustration can lead to depression or other conditions. When these negative aspects build up it can give people false courage and justification to give up instead of looking for ways to solve their problems. Talking with a family therapist may help to gain perspective on your current relationship. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy is one source for locating a trained family professional. 

Consult with a family law attorney.  Once you have completed all the preliminary financial fact-finding you should consult with a family law attorney who specializes in divorce. You will want to ask them pointed questions to determine how the divorce process works, what you can expect as you go along, the fees that you will be charged and what type of settlement you might expect based on your financial situation. If you need a list of questions you might want to use Divorceinfo.com which has a list of different questions that they have compiled. Be sure to take all of the financial information you have gathered with you to your attorney consultation, just be sure to make copies of this information so that you are not surrendering your only copy.

Consult a divorce financial specialist.  Consulting a financial professional for assistance in analyzing the financial consequences that can result from a divorce is critical. Concerns such as identifying and dividing property, alimony and child support benefits, dividing assets, debt and loan issues, and monthly income needs should be carefully examined to determine if an individual will be able to survive financially post-divorce. With recent economic conditions more and more individuals are finding out that they cannot afford to divorce, especially when marital debts overshadow marital assets. Not just any financial professional is specifically qualified and trained to properly assist in this area. Certified Divorce Financial Analyst’s® are specially trained to understand the complicated financial issues surrounding divorce. To locate a professional in your local area visit the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts.  

Tagged with: family, law, attorney, therapist, divorce, specialist, emotional

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