The divorce rate in the U.S. is at its lowest point in 40 years right now. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still plenty of people out there throwing in the towel on their marriages.
According to the CDC, almost 800,000 couples get divorced each year. Some decide to call it quits due to serious issues like adultery and domestic violence, while others file for divorce due to a simple lack of love.
If you and your spouse are thinking about splitting up, it’s important for you to learn how to prepare for divorce first. Divorces can get very messy if you don’t make the proper preparations ahead of time.
Here are some useful tips for those preparing for divorce.
See If There Is Any Way to Save Your Marriage
Is there anything that you and your spouse might be able to do in order to save your marriage? Ask yourself this question before you get too deep into trying to figure out how to prepare for divorce.
If your spouse has cheated on you repeatedly or subjected you to domestic violence on a regular basis, there might not be any coming back from it. But if you and your spouse just aren’t getting along these days and you’re considering divorcing them because you argue too much, that’s a different story.
You may want to look into marriage counseling to see if your marriage can be saved. You may also want to focus on rekindling the love you and your spouse once had for each other by going out on more dates or taking up a new hobby together.
Whatever you do, you should give your marriage everything you have before untying the knot. You’ll feel better about making the decision to divorce when you know you gave marriage your all.
Accept the Fact That Divorce Is Inevitable
If you take steps to try to save your marriage and come up short, the next thing you should do is try to come around to the fact that divorce is going to be inevitable for you and your spouse. This can be one of the most painful parts of the entire process.
It is, however, very important for you to come to terms with the idea of divorce. If you don’t, you’re going to have a tough time preparing for divorce when you’re still holding out hope that your marriage can be saved.
At some point, you’re going to need to flip the switch and focus on getting ready for divorce. The sooner you can do it, the better off you’re going to be in the long run.
Begin Paying Closer Attention to Your Finances
Recent surveys have revealed that a large number of couples are not on the same page when it comes to finances. In fact, about 20% of couples maintain separate financial accounts.
Additionally, there are a lot of couples who have joint financial accounts that don’t work together as far as maintaining those accounts is concerned. Often times, only one party is privy to how money is being spent on a monthly basis.
Regardless of how you and your spouse deal with money, you should start paying closer attention to your finances while preparing for divorce. You should look at how your money is being spent and who is spending it so that you’re not blindsided by the financial side of divorce later.
Start Setting Aside Money for Your Divorce
Getting divorced can be very expensive for couples, especially if it drags out in court for a long time. On average, couples spend about $15,000 per person to get divorced.
Do you have that kind of money lying around for your divorce? If not, you’re going to need to start setting a little bit of money aside here and there so that you’re able to pay for your divorce later.
The last thing you want to do is start your new post-divorce life with a mountain of debt hanging over your head. It could set you back for years to come and make you wish you had taken the time to learn how to prepare for divorce in a financial sense.
Speak With a Lawyer About Your Desire to Get a Divorce
Some people are under the impression that getting a divorce is simple to do. But this is, of course, most definitely not the case.
Outside of the fact that you need to file for divorce in court, you also need to figure out how you and your spouse are going to divide up any assets that you have. If you and your spouse had children together, there will be custody issues that will need to be sorted out as well.
This is why you’re going to need to have a good divorce lawyer on your side. They’ll hold your hand and walk you through the divorce process one step at a time.
There are some couples who chose to use mediation when separating and call on a divorce mediator to help them instead of divorce lawyers. But in many cases, a mediator won’t be able to get the job done once the divorce proceedings get underway.
Find out more about when a divorce lawyer will be a better option for you than a mediator and consider hiring a lawyer instead.
Learning How to Prepare for Divorce Can Make All the Difference
Even if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse agree that divorce is the best course of action for both of you, that doesn’t mean your divorce is going to go smoothly. There are almost always disagreements that pop up during divorce proceedings.
You aren’t going to be able to eliminate all of these disagreements. But you can steer clear of many of them by learning how to prepare for divorce. It’ll put you and your partner on the fast track to divorce and leave you in the best possible position when it’s all over.
Read more about divorce and hiring a good divorce attorney by checking out the other articles on our blog.
