Get Organized Before Your Divorce

Once you and your spouse have decided to go your separate ways, it is important that you make sure you do everything in your power to protect yourself financially and ensure that you are prepared for the future. Experts suggest that getting organized can help you get what you want out of the divorce.

First, experts say you should make a list of your assets and accounts, including bank statements, insurance policy information, investment account information, real estate deeds, credit card information, and loan documents. You should also make sure you collect non-financial documents, such as your will and premarital agreements. Once you have all the documents you need, you will need to find a way to organize them so that you can retrieve them quickly when needed. For example, you can put all real estate documents in the same file (e.g. mortgage information, deed, valuation), so that you can easily give them to your divorce attorney or financial advisor when the time comes.

After you have organized your documents, you should determine whether each asset is marital property or separate property. Marital or community property is property you have acquired during the marriage, whereas separate property is property you brought into the marriage. Washington is a community property state, meaning that any marital property will be split equally between you and your soon-to-be ex.

As you get your affairs in order and prepare for divorce, you may find that you have questions or need additional support. A divorce attorney in the Spokane area can advise you throughout the process and make things much easier during this emotional time.