More than one would think. The first step is a good divorce attorney, usually called a family law lawyer. Their role is not just to initiate and finalize a divorce, but to maintain the terms of the divorce agreement in issues such as custody, education, vacations, living arrangements and all the other dicey parts of the settlement, after the divorce.
The attorney will help to file the necessary paperwork, represent you in all legal matters relative to the divorce action, and help to mediate the property settlement of your assets before the divorce is final.
Yet there are others who can play a part in making this post-divorce transition more amicable and less contentious. Consider adding a therapist who can help remove some of the blame game open sores, or a child psychologist who can help the children feel less abandonment and worry, and a financial planner who can help both before and after a divorce to show one or both of the parties how to live their lives with a new financial set of rules.
The lack of rules could have been one of the primary causes of the divorce, second only to sexual issues and infidelity. If the same financial behavior patterns that caused the divorce continue unabated after the divorce, the pain and poverty issues of post divorce partners will be magnified. Some simple ways to manage money and see how and where it is spent will do wonders to start afresh for both partners.
It’s a new life after divorce. For some it is a welcome relief of the angst and drama that was ever present for years. For some it is an opportunity to clean house, literally and figuratively, and stare that money issue right in the face; the one they thought they didn’t have to deal with because it was being handled by the other spouse.
Let’s get some action plan in place and find out what needs to be done to live a life you love and not one of regret and sorrow of what you think you left behind. Start somewhere but please start. Call or email us if we can help. We are eager to do so.
