When Florida couples decide that their marriages are no longer working and that divorce is the next step, there are still many things they need to do before they file. Getting organized and making concrete plans can smooth the path towards divorce.
Get all documents and paperwork together
When the divorce process begins, spouses will need to go through the discovery of assets phase before negotiating the division of property. Collecting all the financial documents before the divorce begins means you can give yourself more time to be thorough. The documents to compile include:
- All your pay stubs from the current year
- Copies of tax returns for several years
- Statements with savings, investments, credit card and loan information
- Real estate deeds and vehicle titles, wills, and trusts
- Retirement accounts
During this period, it may also be a good idea to track individual spending over a few months to attempt to estimate your cost of living. The documents gathered should cover at least the previous three years of your life.
Consider what you value in the future and make a plan
As your marriage comes to an end, you need to consider the important things in your life and what you would like to do after the divorce. This includes thinking about child custody and support and the things you may want to include in a parenting plan. You can also make a list of all your assets and divide it by the items you truly want to keep and those things with which you are willing to part.
Though state requirements for divorce vary, organizing your paperwork ahead of time and making a plan with clarity for life after the end of your marriage can help during this emotional journey. You may also find it helpful to begin getting a support team together that can legally and emotionally help you through this period
