Steps to Take Immediately if Your Spouse Wants a Divorce

Steps to Take Immediately if Your Spouse Wants a Divorce

When your spouse brings up the subject of divorce, it is completely natural to be stunned and emotionally numb in response. However, despite your impulse to close off, there are certain actions you must take quickly if you are to protect yourself and emerge from the divorce in a stable financial position.

Here are some of the steps you should take immediately when your spouse tells you they want a divorce.

  • Hire an attorney: Your first step should be to research divorce attorneys in your area and hire the one you believe to be best suited for your needs. Your divorce attorney will handle a lot of the communication and paperwork associated with your case. Find someone with whom you are comfortable speaking honestly and frankly, who has experience in the realm of divorce and who is dedicated to assisting you.
  • Close joint accounts: To protect your finances and your credit, close any joint accounts you have to prevent your spouse from potentially incurring large debts before you can finalize the divorce. If you fail to do this, you will be at least partially liable for any such debts that they rack up.
  • Protect your savings: Ask your banks and other financial institutions to require two signatures from both of you for any withdrawals, and consult with your attorney and accountant about any steps you can take to safeguard your accounts and savings.
  • Calculate your worth: Calculate your net work (for both you and your spouse combined) to give you a starting point for how much you’ll be entitled to in the divorce. If you don’t know what assets you own and the value they have, it will be difficult for you to negotiate in a way that will benefit you.
  • Maintain friendly communication: Keep all communications with your spouse as cordial as possible. Spiteful or rude communication will only make it more likely that they will act in a way that could damage your financial standing and make negotiations significantly more difficult.

For more information about how to set yourself up for success in a divorce, contact an experienced Long Island divorce lawyer at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.

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