How Do I Prepare for My Ohio Divorce?
The storm clouds on the horizon of your marriage have you thinking that you might be headed for divorce or dissolution. It’s a scary thought. It’s occasionally an exciting thought. Let’s face it—if you are thinking about divorce, it’s because you’re pretty sure there is some greener grass that you are missing out on. But that doesn’t make the process any easier. Change is HARD!
Even if you are not sure yet which way you will ultimately go, when you start thinking about divorce, there are a few things you should do to put yourself in a better place if you continue moving in that direction. In other words, get your ducks in a row before you start the process.
Make sure you have access to cash!
It still surprises me when I meet couples in which one party controls ALL the financial strings. If you are that party, good for you, but shame on you. Money should be a partnership in a marriage. If you’re the other party, you MUST make a plan. Once the divorce or dissolution is in motion, you will be extremely vulnerable. How will you hire an attorney or mediator? How will you be able to afford to move out if you need to?
Step 1: If you don’t have one yet, get a credit card in your own name. Step 2: Open a bank account in your own name. Ideally this is a discussion with your spouse about having a better balance for the two of you. If that discussion does seem not possible and there is abusive financial control going on, then open it without telling him/her. You might even find that the only way you can start your own savings account is to start getting cash back in small dollar amounts with every purchase you make at a retail location and depositing that into the new account.
Please don’t misunderstand, I’m NOT advocating for dishonesty in marriage but if one party is preventing the other from accessing his/her financial information, that is financial abuse and isn’t likely to change.
Do your homework!
Now is the time to get educated. Download everything you can from my website, read my blogs, go to the Ohio Supreme Court website and read up on the process. Know your rights! An excellent first step here is to have a 30-minute consultation with me. As a Divorce Financial Consultant, I can help point you in the right direction—mediation, collaborative divorce, traditional litigated divorce, dissolution. The options are many and it is tough to know which direction to go. All methods of divorce/dissolution bring different levels of financial commitment, too. I can help you sort that out quickly. I can also give you referrals to respected and caring attorneys if that is necessary.
Build a support team!
The next 6 months are going to be a challenge. You need people you can count on to be there. Choose your core friends that will be in that circle. Find professionals that will give you information. Divorce 20/20 is a great resource for information. Get your ducks in a row and then no matter what happens, you’ll be better prepared for it. You can do this.