You came home to an empty house. It was a shock to you and you had no idea what was going on. A few hours later, you finally got in touch with your spouse. They stated that they had decided to get a divorce, so they were at their parents’ house.
Now that you know what’s happening, it’s important to take a few steps right away. Doing so can help protect you as you move forward with your divorce.
Get in touch with your attorney
Whether you want to try to repair your marriage or not, now is a good time to get in touch with your attorney. Your attorney can help you look at the situation from different angles and start the process of divorcing, going through counseling or partaking in other services.
Close joint accounts
To protect yourself, it’s a smart idea to close any joint accounts you have. If you don’t close them, you could be held liable for any future debts your spouse creates, even after you’re divorced.
If your spouse is currently using one of the accounts, you may want to let them know that you intend to close it. If they are entitled to a share of the assets in an account, like a shared bank account, talk to your attorney about what to do.
Start planning how you want to divide your assets
Now is also a good time to start gathering information on your assets, so you can decide how you want to divide them. You need to identify your assets and their values to start this process.
These are three things to do if you and your spouse are divorcing. Our website has more on the steps you can take to protect yourself and why it’s a good idea to get in touch with your attorney soon.