A signed, official decree of divorce is surely a relief for anyone who has been going through the divorce process with the help of a divorce lawyer for any amount of time; however, it is not the actual end of the road as there is still some post-divorce work that needs to be done.
Now that your divorce is final, it is time to make some necessary changes that have been brought about by the dissolution of your marriage.
This to-do list of post-divorce tasks should help in getting your personal affairs in order to move forward with a new single life.
1. Passwords
With your divorce legally completed, divorce lawyers suggest that the first thing to do for your own protection is to go into all personal online accounts and change the passwords.
Should there be any animosity between spouses, this will make it harder for any kind of retaliation, theft, or other problems to occur if an ex-spouse can no longer access these accounts.
2. Change of Name
After deciding to change your last name to a different last name after the divorce is final, attorneys recommend that this be taken care of immediately.
Once the name change is legal, change it on all personal accounts, email addresses, and any other identifying documentation.
3. Insurance Coverage
With names being changed and accounts being separated, review all insurance, health, home, auto, and any other policies, then reword them as needed to reflect the divorce.
Divorce lawyers do point out during property and benefit negotiations that finding new health insurance may become a priority if you are left without any or only temporary coverage.
Now is the time to take care of that.
4. Banking and Finances
It is also the time to review income and expenses, create a new budget based on your current living and financial situation, as well as tend to all financial concerns.
Close joint credit cards and bank accounts if you have not already done that while dealing with property and debt dispersal during the divorce with an attorney and open new, personal accounts to protect money and credit.
Review tax records and withdrawals as your filings may change due to changes in status and income.
5. Final Sale and Distribution of Property
If there is a home or other property that still needs to be sold or deeds and titles that need transferring now that the divorce has been finalized, take care of that next.
The plan for all of this, including who gets what and how any resulting money is to be dispersed, should have been documented in the decree finalized by your divorce attorney.
6. Estate Planning
One thing that will likely require considerable modification is your estate plan.
With property dispersed between spouses and entire estates changing, it is critical to review wills, estate plans, trusts, and retirement plans as well as reassign beneficiaries and executors and make all necessary changes that reflect the divorce proceedings.
7. Co-Parenting Plans
When parents get divorced, custody agreements are negotiated with divorce attorneys so they can be approved by the courts.
Those who are planning to co-parent should walk away from the signing of their divorce decree ready to pick up communication on their own and begin working on the day-to-day planning involving the children.
Co-parenting with a documented, agreed-upon schedule that can be managed online using one of many useful apps or programs can help both parents communicate better and reduce the minor issues that can cause friction.
Start A Post-Divorce To-Do List Right Away
Though it may feel like it is time to relax once a divorce has been finalized, there is still much personal work to be done.
Use this list from divorce lawyers as a guide to get started, adding on other personal items that must be handled as well.
With an organized to-do list, it will be less likely to forget the small details that mark the actual finalization of the divorce and your progression into single life once again.
