Apr 23, 2015

Divorce takes a toll on a person in many ways, one of which can be financially. However, with the right tips, you may not have to suffer as much when it comes to your money. Here are some things to do and some things to avoid when trying to have a financially smart divorce.

What Should You Do?

Some of the things you want to make sure you do include:

• Understanding the Laws for Property in your Area- Hiring a lawyer will help give you a full understanding of the laws for property in a divorce.
• Analyze the Assets - You and your soon-to-be ex may have some assets that fit your needs better and some that don't. Look at the things that will help you the most and try to get those assets, while using the ones that don't benefit you as bargaining chips, when possible.
• Put Together a Post-Divorce Budget - A post-divorce budget will help you make adjustments within your lifestyle.
• Join a Support Group - The right divorce support group can help give you people that have been there before. They can advise you about some of the changes to expect.

There are many things you should do to ensure you have a financially smart divorce. These are just a few of them.

Things to Avoid

You should also make sure you avoid a few things, such as:

• Ignoring the tax aspect of property settlements and spousal support
• Ignoring any debt and credit issues
• Overlooking necessary insurance
• Forget to update tax forms with your employer

All of these things can cause major issues if you forget about them.

The best thing you can do is take the advice of your attorney and hire a financial advisor to help you get started with your new life. Divorce forces you into a big change and it may be difficult, but you don't have to allow it to affect you as much financially as it could.