Marriage is not always easy. Many married couples go through tough times and some manage to come through it stronger than ever. Unfortunately, there are some couples who cannot seem to get past their problems and divorce becomes inevitable. When this happens, there are a few steps that you will need to take to get through the lengthy divorce process.
Find a Support System
Moving forward with a divorce can be a very emotional and stressful time. To get through it, you are going to need a support system. This includes friends and family members and it also includes a lawyer. Your friends and family members will make sure that your emotional needs are being taken care of and your family lawyer Sydney will make sure that your legal needs are being taken care of.
Take An Inventory Of Your Personal Assets
In Australia, the equitable division of assets applies in divorce. This means that the assets held by you and your spouse won’t be divided equally. This makes it very important for you to make a list of your financial contributions to the marriage. You should also include any other contributions. For example, if you were a homemaker and the primary caregiver for your children, it will have a major impact on your portion of the divorce settlement. To set yourself up for the future, you should open a separate bank account in your name only. Also, apply for a credit card in only your name so that you can establish an individual credit rating for yourself.
Come Up With a Maintenance and Child Support Figure
If you are hoping to keep full custody of your children, you are going to need to know how much money you will need each week to support them. If you are not going to have custody, you should come up with a dollar amount that you can afford to pay for child support. Stay-at-home moms deserve to be financially cared for after the marriage ends. If your main job was to care for your home and children, you should come up with a dollar amount that you will need to support yourself. If you were the main income provider and your spouse took care of the home and the children, you might be required to pay for your spouse’s maintenance. In this case, you should come up with a dollar amount that you can afford. This information will make things easier when the divorce proceedings begin.
Figure Out Your New Living Situation
After a divorce, you and your spouse will no longer be living together. There are a few ways that this can work. You could remain in the home and your spouse can leave. You could leave the home and let your spouse continue to live there. If you own your home together, you could sell the house and split the money. It is best to discuss these things with your lawyer so that they can be sure that you are in the best position legally.
Collect Records and Documents
The first thing that you should record is the date of your separation. According to the law, you need to be separated for a year before you can apply for a divorce. Your lawyer will request copies of other important documents including:
• Your marriage certificate
• Your family’s birth certificates
• Your insurance policies
• Your tax returns during the marriage
• Any loan and mortgage documents that you may have
• Your joint bank account statements
Will and Insurance Policy Changes
Before your divorce, you are going to need to make the necessary changes to your will and to your life and health insurance policies. Since you will be no longer married, your spouse won’t need to be listed on these documents. This is something that you can talk to your lawyer about. They will advise you regarding the necessary steps to take to get your spouse’s name off of these documents.
The end of a marriage can be devastating and stressful. While this may seem like more than enough to deal with, you also have to take various legal steps to make sure that you get your fair share in the divorce.
