Important Steps to Take After the Finalization of Your Divorce
Many couples who decide to end their marriages mistakenly believe that their troubles will end after their divorce is finalized. The reality, however, is that there are still a number of steps that recently divorced parties must take once a judge signs off on their final order, so if you and your spouse were recently divorced and you have questions about what to do next, it is important to contact an experienced Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney who can advise you.
Contacting the Clerk of Court
Once you and your spouse have completed the process of dividing your marital assets, determining whether one party will be required to pay alimony to the other, and if necessary, deciding how parenting time will be divided between the parties, a court will finalize the parties’ divorce. At this point, the parties should contact the clerk of the court where the divorce was finalized to obtain a certified copy of the official divorce decree.
Updating Records
Once two parties have obtained a copy of their divorce decree, they can take the document to the Social Security Administration, as well as the parties’ employers and insurers to update key records. It’s also a good idea for divorced couples to:
- Remove their former spouse’s name from joint bank accounts if they have not yet done so;
- Close any credit cards that are in both parties’ names and open new accounts;
- Review any Qualified Domestic Relations Orders issued in their case and make contact with pension plans and investment companies to ensure that those entities have a copy of the document and are prepared to execute it;
- Contact their insurer to notify of them of the divorce and ask about bridge-the-gap coverage;
- Revise their wills to account for beneficiary and executor changes;
- Reevaluate their beneficiary designations on life insurance policies, transfer on death accounts, retirement plans, pensions, and annuities;
- Visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, as well as the parties’ county’s titling authority to update their names and mailing addresses; and
- Sign and deliver any documents related to the transfer of title to real property.
Taking these steps can play a critical role in helping couples begin the process of separating their finances and moving on with their lives following divorce.
Set Up Automatic Payments
Divorced parties who have been ordered to pay child or spousal support should consider setting up their payments so that they are automatically deducted from their paycheck or a certain account on a regular basis. Similarly, those who expect to receive either of these payments should ensure that their former spouse has the proper account information so that all payments are sent to the right place.
Call Our Legal Team Today
Many couples are so eager to finalize their divorces that they fail to address important issues. To ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, please call us today to set up a free case evaluation with dedicated divorce attorney Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. You can reach a member of our legal team at 954-945-7591 or via online message.
Resource:
forbes.com/sites/jefflanders/2013/12/04/divorcing-women-dont-forget-to-update-these-key-documents/#32fea9877cda