Five Steps to Spring Cleaning for your Divorce

Spring is in the air.  It’s almost that time to dust away the dampness and cold and get ready for the warmth of Southern California sunshine. If you are gearing up to say, “I don’t” sometime in the next couple months, you need to be prepared. And your spring cleaning can help you.
1. Get a handle on your tax situation. By the time you are reading this, most if not all of you will have filed your taxes. Hopefully you read and understood the tax return before you signed it. A lot of people blindly sign tax returns and this is a huge error. If you cannot fully explain your tax return, you need to make an appointment with your accountant and go over it with him or her. You will need at least  your last two returns for your divorce case.
2. Pull your credit report. Most people never pull their credit report. You will need credit in your own name after you divorce. If you do not have credit in your own name, get some established. Now.  You will need it in the future.  Check your credit report for errors. Start cleaning up your credit if there are negative notations on it.
3. Gather your documents. You will need home mortgage and car loan statements, deeds to all properties you own, appraisals from refinances, 12 months credit card and banking statements, escrow documents for property you owned prior to marriage, etc. Start a master folder for all of these documents we will need.
4. Assemble your “team.”  Everyone needs support thru a divorce or separation. You will need a trusted friend or two, and maybe a therapist or religious professional to assist you through this life transition. Makes sure the people you confide in are 1,000 percent reliable and will keep your confidences.
5. Get your life insurance in place now for your kids. Whole life is best, but if you can’t afford it, at least get a term policy that will pay off your house and your kids college education. This is a must.
6. Make the mental adjustment. Resolve yourself to think of your divorce as a business dissolution, and to think economically rather than emotionally. So many people waste thousands of dollars in divorce litigation over emotional “stuff” that the Courts in Los Angeles simply do not care about.
7. Get some exercise. Many gyms have fitness challenges. Join one for fun and to meet new people. Exercise will help you sleep better thru the divorce process and help you manage the stress better.
For more information on how to be prepared for your divorce case, contact 2014-2016 Super Lawyer of the Year and a Top Southern California Female Attorney Denise Placencio at 877-317-8080.