Some spouses often just want to keep as much peace as possible in their families over the holidays, and even if they have been thinking strongly about divorce, many of them think they can handle one last holiday season with their spouse. But for many of the unhappily married, the need to file for divorce comes soon after the holiday festivities are over. January is reported as the month when most file for divorce.
If this is a path you are predicting for yourself there are things you can do to quietly prepare while still maintaining some sort of holiday cheer. Jeff Landers, a certified divorce financial strategist, has several suggestions that will be reviewed here over a series of two posts.
When you are considering a divorce, you want to be prepared both offensively and defensively. Offensively, your best protection is to know where you stand. Running your credit report is a good way to do this. Once you have an understanding of what is going on with your own finances, you can monitor your report as needed.
The next thing you will want to do is open up accounts in your own name at banks where you and your spouse do not share an account. By doing this you establish a bit of your own credit history and set yourself up for life on your own. Once you have a handle on this, the third offensive move is to get a divorce attorney you feel comfortable with, as well as divorce financial strategist. They will give you further advice on what moves you may want to consider in order to move to the next phase of your life as a single, financially secure person.
For advice on defensive moves for pre-divorce groundwork, please read the upcoming post.
Source
Forbes: “End-of-the-Year Checklist for Divorcing Women,” Jeff Landers, Dec. 6, 2011
