Exploring Civil Case Proceedings

After The Divorce Checklist: 3 Essential Things You Must Do

5 March 2015 by Becky Freeman

Divorces can take a long time from start to finish, but even when a divorce is legally executed, there are still things that must be done. As your divorce is coming to a close, now is the time to start thinking about these things and taking care of them. Here are three things that you may need to do once the judge approves the dissolution of your marriage.

Follow Through with Divorce Decree

When your divorce is through, you will receive a divorce decree. This document is very important because it is the only legal document that states the division of assets, but this is not all it contains. It may also have instructions about:

• The kids – This can include custody rights, visitation, child support payments, and many other things. There may be certain responsibilities you must complete to abide by the instructions that relate to your kids.
• Assets – You may also see that the decree contains a summary of how assets are divided. As you look at the document, you may need to gather certain belongings to give back to your ex-spouse.
• Debts – You may also find instructions about debts that you are responsible for paying, and you should make sure you pay all of these.

It's important for you to thoroughly read over the decree once you receive it. If there are things it tells you to do, you must do them. If you discover any inaccuracies on the decree, you may need to take your ex-spouse back to court to get these changed.

Switch Names on Loans and Assets

Another important step you will need to take is removing or adding your name to loans or assets. For example, if your ex-spouse gets to keep the house, you may be required to sign a quitclaim deed. This is a document used to remove a person's name from the deed of a piece of property, and it is important for you to do this as soon as you can.

If you get to keep the house, you may need to make sure your ex signs a quitclaim deed, and you may need to refinance the loan to get his or her name off of it.

You should look over every asset and debt you have to ensure that the names are correct after the divorce, and this includes:

• Car loans
• Credit card bills
• Doctor bills
• Rental agreements
• Bank accounts

Once you are finished taking care of these things, there is one more step you should complete after your divorce.

Change Medical Information and Insurance Policies

In addition to the financial steps you must complete after a divorce, there are also medical changes you may need to do. One of these involves changing the contact information with your doctor's office. If the emergency contact had your ex-spouse's name, you should replace this with someone else's name, such as a sibling, parent, or close friend.

You should also take the time to look into all your retirement plans and insurance policies so that you can replace the name of the beneficiary on these things.

This may also be a good time to visit a family lawyer to have a new will created for you. This new will could reflect the changes that have recently occurred in your life, and this will allow you to remove your ex-spouse from the will altogether.

Divorces are not easy, quick, or fun, but they happen quite frequently. If you are going through a divorce right now or about to go through a divorce, make sure you keep in touch with your divorce attorney. He or she will guide you through the process, but you will need to make sure you take care of these items once the divorce is complete.

 

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