If you are preparing for or are in the process of getting a divorce, you will want to consider whether or not to restore your former name. New Jersey has a way to do a name change as part of your divorce process. If you want to have your former (maiden) name restored, you should…
During a divorce, it’s important to protect your privacy and that of your family. Telling everyone the details of your split is unnecessary, especially if you have children who need protecting as well. If you can keep your private news to yourself, it will make your divorce easier to handle for all involved. One way…
If you are headed for a divorce, you may be thinking more about the division of your marital assets than what will happen to your debt. But just like assets, debt is also subject to division in a divorce. There are two kinds of debt: marital and non-marital. Marital debt is any debt you incurred…
Good planning is essential to making a successful start to getting a divorce. Even though you may feel you are ready from an emotional standpoint, you need to be sure you are legally prepared before you file. Here are five planning tips to help you prepare for a divorce: #1: Talk with an experienced divorce…
It doesn’t happen often, but should a mistake in your final divorce settlement happen to you, you definitely want to know how to remedy it. The mistake could occur because of simple human error, or it could have happened because your ex failed to disclose important financial information or intentionally hid assets. So are you…
If you are going through a divorce, you will find yourself faced with making a number of important decisions that will affect your life and those of your children for many years to come. And while it can be tough to keep focused on making good decisions for your future during this highly emotional time,…
Divorce can be not only a hit to the heart, but it can also have a significant effect on your financial circumstances. At the outset of the divorce process, you are especially vulnerable to getting caught up in the emotional aspect of divorce rather than focusing on the financial impact. However, you need to realize…
You probably spent months planning for your wedding because you wanted it to go as smoothly and perfectly as possible. Now that your marriage is ending, you may be surprised to learn that you should devote that same kind of effort into planning your divorce. In the long run, planning for divorce will save you…
The approaching holidays could be something you’re dreading if you are newly separated or divorced. Struggling with a “new normal” is difficult enough without having to tackle holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve and the attached memories these holidays bring. However, holidays happen whether we’re ready or not, so the best way…
Most of us live fully digital lives these days — we bank online, pay bills online, keep up with friends and family online, and more. And if we’re married, we may share digital devices as well. So when divorce enters the picture, it’s not unusual to become concerned about how those digital devices and data…
Sometimes it seems as if divorce is just a long series of hard parts. The first hard part: deciding to divorce. The next hard part: telling the children. And the next: telling everyone else. Who exactly should you tell and when? And what do you say when you may not be ready to talk about…
Planning a dream wedding or a dream vacation can take many months. Most people consider it time well spent on making wonderful memories. Probably the same cannot be said for planning a dream divorce. Obviously, divorce is far from dreamy — but planning for it will pay off for you in the long run. Divorce…
When a couple decides to divorce, the question of who will remain in the marital home can become contentious. One spouse may leave for a period of time, then wish to return. Or a spouse can return home from work one day to find the locks changed. While these situations do happen, you do not…
Today, divorce is commonplace, but there was a time several decades ago when divorce was considered socially taboo and couples were encouraged to always stay together “for the sake of the children.” Now we know that whether or not divorce is harmful to children depends largely on how it is handled by their parents. We…
The old saying that “the devil is in the details” may often apply to the division of assets in a divorce if either party lacks an understanding of the difference between marital property and separate property. While you should discuss your unique situation when it comes to property division with your attorney, here is how…