Texas spouses whose marriages are coming to an end may find having a checklist of to-do items may help prevent them from making costly mistakes and enable them to keep the divorce on track. A checklist can help spouses avoid making one or more of the mistakes that often occur during the process.
Key things to do early on in the divorce include submitting change of address forms for personal mail, even when both spouses are still living in the house. This will keep the other spouse from reading mail from their ex-to-be’s attorney and financial statements. It’s also recommended that spouses get credit reports when the proceedings start and again afterwards. Spouses also need to change passwords on all online accounts, including email and social media, to keep the other spouse from cyber spying. Other documents that may need to be changed include the beneficiary designations on wills, retirement accounts and life insurance policies.
If children are involved, a parenting checklist may be needed. All visitation dates should be noted on a yearly calendar to see if the schedule works. Parents may want to add other issues to this list that can include having access to a child’s educational and medical records.
The termination of a marriage is often filled with emotions and stress, and as a result financial and other practical considerations can sometimes be ignored or forgotten. This can be a detriment when it comes to property division and other matters, and having the assistance of a family law attorney to provide advice and counsel on applicable divorce legal issues can be beneficial to a divorcing spouse.
