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Preparing for Your Orlando, Florida Area Divorce

You plan to file for divorce against your spouse. How can you prepare yourself for your Orlando, Florida area divorce? To start planning, you can prepare yourself financially for the divorce process and life after the divorce. 

Reviewing Credit and Debts

First, you should run a credit check on yourself. This will show you all the debt you have in your name and jointly with your spouse. You do not want to have surprises regarding joint debt on a joint credit card with your spouse or a credit card where your spouse is a co-signer. If you find something you did not expect on a credit report, you can call the credit card company to try to find out how to remedy the situation.

Budgeting for the Future

Next, you should gather your last three years’ tax returns. You should obtain a credit card in your name, if only to protect yourself should your spouse cancel your credit cards or deny you access to funds. You should check the balances on the joint accounts. 

Once you have your accounts figured out, you should price health and car insurance. This will help you see the amount of money you need to live on when you are responsible to pay for your own insurance expenses. You should talk to a financial planner regarding what you will need financially to live comfortably in the future. That would give you an idea of the amount you need to request for alimony if you are entitled to alimony.

Planning Your Living Situation

You should speak to a CPA so you understand the tax ramifications from a divorce. Make sure you know all your assets and debts. You will want to obtain the value of your house by obtaining an appraisal or comparative market analysis. Then, obtain the mortgage payoff for the marital residence. 

If you want to move out of the house and rent an apartment, you should price apartments in your area and the expenses of living in an apartment. You should think about whether you want to keep the house, have your spouse buy your half of the house, or sell the house. 

If you think you will have an acrimonious divorce and your spouse is already stressing you, then you may want to see a mental health counselor. If you have children, you need to consider where you plan to live and how that will affect your children and their time sharing with your spouse. 

These are all things you can do to help you prepare yourself when you want to file for divorce. If you have more questions regarding a Marital and Family Law matter, you may call Ann Marie Giordano Gilden at Ann Marie Giordano Gilden, P.A. at 407-732-7620 and set an initial consultation. 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not form an attorney client privilege.