Mary Carollo: Resolve Your Divorce with a Level Head

Even if you and your spouse both agree to dissolve your marriage and move on, divorce is never an easy process. There are many emotions and tough issues to resolve, and it can be difficult to keep a clear head when finalizing the terms of your divorce.

During this time, it’s extremely important to approach these issues rationally and to avoid getting overly emotional. After all, a great deal of your future rests on the decisions you make when negotiating with your former partner on matters involving child custody, child support and the division of marital property.

The following are several steps you should take to prepare for divorce in Salt Lake City:

Gather financial records: Before a divorce, get organized and prepare all of your financial documents and store them in a safe place — such as a friend or relative’s house.
Start saving money: Divorce can be expensive, especially if you need to engage in litigation. Start saving moving as early as possible to make sure you can cover the fees and costs involved.
Open new checking/savings accounts: You likely have joint accounts with your spouse, so you should open new checking and savings accounts as a place to store and save your own money.
Change your beneficiaries: If your spouse is listed as a beneficiary in your will or life insurance policy, you might want to name someone else.
Inventory marital and non-marital property: The division of marital assets can be a difficult process, and it helps to be organized. Make sure you know which key assets you share versus which ones you own separately.

Second Time Around: Four Tips for Success

Love makes the world go ‘round. Even after a lengthy or high-conflict divorce experience, many of my clients remarry. At any age, the opportunity to build a life with a person with whom you share abiding love and companionship is a blessing.

If considering a second marriage, or if you just started into your first relationship since divorce, take a look at these tips for making a second marriage or relationship last:

Once bitten, twice shy: You have been divorced — think about why. While you should not let ghosts of the past derail a future relationship, try to gain perspective on why a first marriage failed, and what you might do to avoid a split the second time around.

Prenuptial contracts: Anyone who goes through divorce is not likely to be squeamish about discussing assets and financial responsibility. Our firm regularly drafts clear, concise prenuptial agreements for clients entering a second marriage. Hard-earned assets or property are clearly identified as separate, so that they will remain free from equitable distribution, should the second marriage fail.

Stepparents: The role of a new spouse is complicated. If an earlier divorce was traumatic, there are a few clues as to how children will handle a second marriage. Maintaining a stable household, and keeping boundaries clear and lines of communication open, are respectful ways to address the anxiety of children in a new parenting situation.

Location, location, location: Second marriages often involve one partner moving into the home of another. While this makes sound economic sense, a residence owned by one spouse will always be their house. Talk to your partner about ways to keep separately- owned property, while finding a new residence both can call home.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.