Contemplating Divorce? 7 Important Questions To Consider
As you contemplate divorce, there are 7 important questions you should consider. Why?
The financial decisions you make as you contemplate or undergo divorce have an impact on the rest of your life.
These decisions can mean the difference between merely surviving a divorce, to truly enjoying your future!
Important Financial Questions to Ask
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Here are some important questions to ask yourself and find answers to when contemplating divorce:
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1. How is my cash flow?
What are your monthly expenses now? What will they be after you are separated? Creating a budget so you know how much income you will need to support yourself is critical.
Spousal support is partially contingent on what your expenses are and what income you have already (if any), so create that working budget.
2. What assets are owned?
Making an inventory of all the marital assets is an important step to help you make sound financial decisions. And it doesn’t matter whose name is on the account! Make a complete list of all assets for both husband and wife.
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Assets can include bank accounts, stocks, bonds, money market funds, mutual funds, cars, antiques, and real estate.
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The divorce process is about dividing the marital property between each of you 50/50 so it’s very important to know what those assets are.
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3. Is my spouse hiding assets?
In connection with the above question, it is also important to assess if your spouse may be hiding assets. This is to ensure that marital assets are divided fairly.
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4. How much do we owe?
Not only will you divide assets through the divorce process, you will also divide the debt accrued during marriage. This can include credit card debt, mortgage debt, car loans, and any personal loans. Therefore, making a list of all debt, and deciding who will be responsible for paying each debt is an important step in the negotiations. For more detailed information, read here about property and debt division.
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5. What are your priorities?
Do you want to retain the family home or are you willing to sell it to move into a more affordable house? Is the antique armoire worth the trouble of fighting your ex over it? Settlements are always about compromises and knowing your priorities will help you and your CDFAⓇ plot out different settlement options.
6. Am I entitled to alimony?
These days, alimony (also known as spousal support) payments are an important part of the divorce settlement. Alimony is based on the length of the marriage and the income and expenses of both parties.
Having this information available will help your CDFA to provide possible estimates for spousal support, but ultimately this is something that is negotiated during the divorce process.
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7. How much child support am I entitled to?
If you have children and are the primary caretaker for those children (you have them more than 50% of the time, you can probably expect to get Child Support. There is a specific calculation in the state of California for guideline support.
The amount will generally be based on the amount of time each parent spends with the child and the separate incomes of each of the parents. Knowing how much child support you can potentially get and for how long will help you make a more realistic financial plan.
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Now is the best time to take control, plan for both the immediate and long-term future and partner with a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Ⓡ to help in complicated money matters.
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When considering divorce, it is important to understand your finances so you are able to make intelligent decisions.
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Here is how we assist you during your divorce:
Help in completing your financial statements – listing income, expenses and all assets/property, which are required by the courts.
Guidance in preparation of a realistic budget
Help in understanding important matters such as child support and alimony.
Help in understanding retirement accounts and how to divide them
Presentation of alternative settlement options and help in understanding the financial ramifications of each of these options
Take Control of Your Future
Divorce is stressful. My job is to make the process easier and help both you and your attorney review your options so you understand the impact of your financial decisions and how they will affect your future.
Kimberly can provide step-by-step guidance on matters related to divorce. With a wide range of experience and expertise related to divorce issues, our team will simplify the process and provide much-needed clarity in areas such as long-term tax consequences, asset, and debt analysis, dividing pension plans, continued health care coverage, stock option elections, protecting support with life insurance, and much more.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for seeking legal advice from an attorney. For legal or tax advice please seek the services of a qualified attorney and/or qualified tax professional.