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You may decide that you want a divorce in Arizona all on your own, without talking about it with your spouse. This means that, at some point, you’re going to need to sit down and give him or her the news — or at least serve the divorce papers. While you may want to do this as quickly as you can to get it over with, there are some important things to do first.
1. Put aside some of your own money.
Finances can quickly get complicated when you make your intentions clear. What if your spouse cleans out the bank account? You need some money just to initiate the process, so experts say it’s wise to set it aside first.
2. Get your own credit cards.
If you have time, getting your own credit cards can also help, as can taking your name off of your spouse’s accounts. You want your credit history to be your own going forward. Not only does this free you up to use your cards if you need them, but it means your credit score won’t be damaged if your spouse starts spending irresponsibly.
3. Get your documents together.
During the divorce, you’ll need to declare things like assets and liabilities. To make sure your spouse is honest and doesn’t try to skew the data or hide anything, get the papers in advance. This way, you know you’ll have them — and copies — at your disposal. You may need mortgage papers, earning statements and tax returns.
While these are three key things you should do, be sure you also know about all of the legal steps that you need to take.
Source: Time, “The 3 Most Important Things to Do Before Announcing You Want a Divorce,” Farnoosh Torabi, accessed Oct. 07, 2015
