UN-tying the Knot? Everything You Need to Know When Prince Charming Leaves the Building
Divorce and Widowhood Advice
More than 50% of marriages end in divorce. Although no one plans to be a divorce statistic, it happens. So, what do you do now?
Can You Do Your Own Divorce?
My husband and I are talking about getting a divorce after six years of marriage. We don’t have any children, and he thinks we can do it ourselves. What do you think? Doing your own divorce makes sense if your case is not complicated, your marriage was of short duration, you and your spouse have [...]
Don’t Overlook Important Assets In Your Divorce
My husband and I have drawn up a list of what we own and we have tentatively agreed on how to split everything. I’m afraid we might have missed listing something. Can you help? As a financial divorce consultant, I often review final property settlements to determine additional tax and financial considerations that should be [...]
Changing Your Name After Divorce
When I was divorced, I didn’t change my name, but now I want to resume my former name and drop my ex-husband’s name. Is it too late to do this without an expensive attorney? Divorce is very unsettling, to say the least. It is difficult to think about changing one’s name when there are [...]
Are You Losing Your Social Security Benefits?
I recently heard that I may be entitled to collect Social Security benefits when I retire based on my ex-husband’s earnings. But I looked at my divorce decree and it doesn’t say anything about it. Did I miss the boat? Here’s some good news about your divorce! If you were married to your ex-spouse for [...]
Should You Keep Your House After Divorce?
My husband moved out of the house six months ago. I don’t think I can afford to buy him out, and so I am considering moving into the rental condo we have, which means we’d sell our house. But my husband thinks that I should stay in the house until our son leaves for college [...]
Getting Income From Retirement Plans After Divorce
As a part of my divorce settlement, I am supposed to get a portion of my husband’s retirement plans. I’ll need some of the money to live on, but I’m only 53, so I’m too young to receive retirement benefits. What’s the best way to handle this retirement plan distribution? Generally, a Qualified Domestic Relations [...]
Where to Search for Hidden Assets During Divorce
My husband just told me he wants a divorce, and he says he’s been thinking about it for quite a while. I’m afraid that he’s taken steps to hide money so that I won’t receive a fair share of our property. It’s smart of your to be suspicious. Although by and large people are pretty [...]
Getting Your Financial Life Back On Track After Divorce
I have just been through a divorce, and I feel as though I’ve been through the wringer. I have a great therapist who is helping me through the emotional aftermath, but I don’t know where to begin to get my financial life back on track. Unfortunately, “splitting the sheets” also means splitting the assets and [...]
The Divorce Threat List
My husband and I are divorcing, and he says that unless I agree to split the property the way he wants, he’ll take me to court and the judge will order us to sell everything. Can he do that? Sure, he can take you to court, but it is unlikely that the judge would order [...]
Divorce and Bankruptcy
My husband is a spendthrift and we are deeply in debt. Money, or rather, the lack of it, is a constant source of irritation in our marriage, and we have talked about divorce in the past. Now, due to his business problems, my husband says we may be facing bankruptcy. If I go ahead and [...]
Dividing Debt in Divorce
I know that California says that I get half of the property my husband and I have accumulated during our marriage. But what we have is mostly debts. What’s the best way to deal with them? Unfortunately, its not unusual for couples these days to have more debts than assets. The general rule is that [...]
Divorce Mediation: An Alternative to High-Cost Litigation
My husband and I are discussing divorce, but we are both afraid that once we get involved in the legal system, it will be very costly and we will lose control of the process. Do you think that mediation would work for us? We asked Genell Greenberg, MSW, who is an experienced divorce mediator and [...]
Single Parent Support
How one woman created her own support group With divorce on the upswing and the original family foundation being divided, there is a growing population of single parents needing support and information on surviving the breakup of the classically acceptable family unit and the reincarnation into the new single parent lifestyle. With the advent of [...]
What To Bring to Your First Appointment
In last month’s column, you learned how to interview attorneys to represent you in a divorce. Once you have set an appointment, you need prepare for that interview in order to get the most bang for your buck when you and the attorney meet. The attorney must have a basic understanding of the facts of [...]
How To Choose A Divorce Attorney
A divorce is one of the most traumatic events in a person’s life, ranking right up there with death of a loved one. A divorce is also one of the few times – and maybe the only time – a person has to deal with the court system. Ending a disintegrating marriage is made more [...]
Maintaining Your Health Insurance After Divorce
Your health is the most important asset you have, and health insurance coverage is a close second. If your health insurance is through your spouse’s employer, once the divorce is final you will need to obtain health insurance for yourself. It is very important that there is no gap in coverage, so you must deal [...]
The Benefits of Being Married Ten Years
My nine-year marriage has been rocky for quite some time, and my husband and I periodically talk about divorce. A friend told me I should stick it out a while longer since there are benefits to being married ten years or longer. What are those benefits?
Is There Credit After Divorce
I am thinking of divorce, and I don’t know what to do about my credit cards. Will I be able to get credit after I divorce, or will I have to start over?
The Twelve Financial Pitfalls of Divorce
Each year, nearly 2.8 million men and women go through the emotional and financial trauma of divorce. During divorce, many women are concerned about financial survival—and with good reason.
Social Security and Divorce
Here’s some good news about divorce, for a change. If your marriage lasted at least ten years, you can claim social security benefits on the entire earnings history of your ex-spouse.
