The divorce process can be lengthy, particularly if you and your ex can't come to an agreement on the settlement. By the time everything is settled, it's sometimes difficult to know what to do next. Unfortunately, once the divorce is final, there are still some steps that you'll need to take to completely separate yourself and your ex. Here are some tips to help ensure that you don't miss any of the finer details.
Get Copies Of The Decree
Your attorney will typically send you a certified copy of the divorce decree when he or she sends you the final notification of the judgement. However, it's often in your best interest to obtain a few more copies. You may need to send copies to some of the agencies, companies, or organizations that you need to change information with. Visit the courthouse to request your copies, and expect to pay a small fee per copy. The sooner you do this, the sooner you'll be able to get the last of the changes taken care of to move forward.
Update Your Public Records
Once your divorce is final, you'll need to notify all of your creditors, the IRS, Social Security, your employer, any professional licensing organizations, your insurance company, the passport office, your doctor and any other medical providers, utility companies, and any property registrations. They'll have to change your marital status, address, and even your name if you're reverting to a maiden name as part of the divorce.
Change Your Will and Beneficiaries
Chances are that your will was written to designate your ex as the heir to your estate in the event of your death. He or she may have even been deemed your Executor. If so, make sure that you update this as soon as possible.
Any life insurance, investment funds, bank accounts, or other resources that have a listed beneficiary should be updated right away. If your ex is listed as your beneficiary and something happens to you after the divorce, but before you update the records, he or she will still receive those funds. Make sure you designate a new beneficiary for those policies and financial assets.
Close Joint Credit Accounts
Any joint accounts that you and your ex had open should be closed to avoid any misuse. Even if you designated one party solely responsible for certain accounts in the divorce, the credit bureaus will still see both of you as responsible. This is also true for any loans you may have taken out together. Close the credit card accounts and refinance the loans for any property that was jointly financed. For example, if you have a car loan that you both signed but you keep the car in the divorce, apply to refinance the loan on your own to remove your ex's name from the title and the loan itself.
Are you ready to legally end your marriage? Contact a law firm such as Moore Robert G Attorney at Law.
