In January, we noted how many distressed spouses decided to begin the new year by beginning a new life…without their spouse. January marks the month where more divorces are initiated than any other month during the year. As such, April is ostensibly the month where many January divorces are finalized in Texas. So just as spring brings new life to flowers and trees, new lives are budding with signed divorce decrees.
There are several things newly minted divorcees want to do when the ink dries (e.g. have a divorce party, go on a singles cruise, shout from the mountain tops) but there are other practical matters that should be addressed.
Revisit insurance policies – Many people forget that their ex-spouse is listed as a beneficiary on their life insurance policies. Since she (or he) is out of your life, they should not benefit from your demise. You can list children (if they are of age) or designate a trust as a beneficiary.
Monitor credit reports – Your divorce decree may call for joint credit card accounts to be cancelled or paid off. To ensure that this happens, it is helpful to check your credit reports to see if these tasks are actually being completed. If not, your report will give you that information.
Complete ordered transactions – Some orders will require that real property be sold (or at least put on the market) or that other personal property be delivered to the rightful owner. To avoid being held in contempt of court, these transactions should be completed quickly. One thing to remember, just because the marriage is over doesn’t mean that the obligations are extinguished.
If you have questions about (or difficulties with) following your divorce decree, an experienced family law attorney can help.
Source: HuffingtonPost.com, Life after divorce: What I did the day my divorce was finalized, April 25, 2013
