Handy Pre-Divorce-Filing Checklist Every Spouse Should Have

The two of you have come to the amicable conclusion that divorce is the best decision for the both of you. An uncontested divorce can be an easy thing to achieve, but it is still a major legal process that can bring about a few issues, so it is best to be fully prepared before you ever step a foot in a divorce lawyer's office. Here is a short checklist of need-to-dos that every spouse should have completed before they file for a divorce. 

1. Work out your living arrangements. 

Most states require married couples to be separated for a while before they can go through with a divorce. Therefore, the sooner you can work out your living arrangements and get into separate housing, the smoother the divorce process will go. 

2. Eliminate joint financial accounts. 

Most married couples have bank accounts and credit accounts in their names. Eliminating these accounts before filing for a divorce is a really good idea because these kinds of changes can take some time to do. 

3. Divvy up your belongings in a way that you both agree. 

Go ahead and sort through everything you own to decide who keeps what after the divorce. At this point, it is best if you are already living separately because each party can take their belongings to their own space. Don't forget to make decisions about things like who gets pets or jointly owned vehicles. 

4. Talk about child custody arrangements. 

Child custody will automatically come up during a divorce filing if you have children with your spouse, and this topic is probably one of the biggest culprits to slow a divorce case down. To prevent problems with child custody slowing down your divorce, it is absolutely a must to try to come to an agreement before you ever file. It doesn't hurt to hire a mediator to help you out if you are struggling, even if the divorce has not technically been filed. 

5. Resolve unresolved issues. 

Pretty much every divorce can have some underlying issues that have to be resolved. If you do not take the time to work these problems out before you get in the middle of the divorce-filing process, they will likely come up at some point and slow things down. Whether it is something big, such as a disagreement about who gets the dog, or something small like a dispute over who is entitled to keep the new TV, get those issues worked out first. 

To learn more, contact a law office like Scott & Scott, PC.