Getting divorced is stressful and painful, especially for a Stay-at-home mom. Why? We all know that most stay-at-home moms financially will depend on their husband. If they should divorce but they do not make money, of course, divorce will lead them into depression.
If you are currently facing serious problems in your marriage and even heading for divorce, you may need to prepare for divorce. In fact, divorce not only ends your relationship with your husband, but there are also some aspects that affect you such as emotional aspects, financial, legal and parenting issues.
Thankfully, this post will show you how to prepare for divorce, if you are a stay-at-home mom. Okay, let’s dive into our post below!
Preparing for a Divorce as a Stay-at-Home Mom, Here’s How!
According to greatlakesdfs.com, there are four preparations that you have to prepare for divorce, especially if you are a stay-at-home mom. Aside from income, there are other aspects that influence your mentality when getting divorce.
Here’s what you should prepare for a divorce as a stay-at-home mom!
1) Emotional Preparation
It’s normal for you to feel a variety of emotions after you realize that your marriage is over. As the time goes by, you may experience all of the stages of grief after getting divorced. You are not only losing your relationship, but the future you aspired to with your husband was shattered just like that.
You shouldn’t try to get rid of the sadness, this is a process that you will experience since feeling and processing each of them will help you move on. Make sure to give yourself time to process each stage of grief throughout the process. There are some stages of grief you may experience including denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
When you move through the emotions, you should know that you will be able to move through at your own pace. Finally, you will get to the point of acceptance, though. The sooner you can get there, the easier it will be to approach your decision with a clear mind.
2) Financial Preparation
Generally, most people will think deeply about finances when going through a divorce. Of course, financial preparation will be necessary in the process of divorce. If you are a stay-at-home mom and want to simplify the process, you can start the following things.
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- Open your own bank account: It’s a great time for you to start opening your own bank account in your name. Make sure to put money aside in preparation. It’s very important to be financially prepared for what may occur after you ask for divorce.
- Take care of your credit: Your credit score is very important for a lot of reasons, but it will be particularly crucial if you have to refinance your house as part of your settlement. It’s a good time for you to open a credit card account in your name.
- Organize financial documents: It’s highly recommended for you to organize your financial documents and determine what is missing. Make sure to collect everything with a dollar sign on it. The financial documents here include tax returns, pay stubs, investment account statements, bank account statements, retirement account statements, etc.
- Create your own email address: Creating your own email address allows you to communicate with professionals as needed regardless of your case without your spouse having access to your private information.
- Schedule a strategy session: You can also try to contact a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst to help you sort through the details of your financial life going forward.
- Create a budget: Make sure to write down everything related to your income, expenses and also debt. You also need to identify your expenses honestly.
- Start to make future income: Hereinafter, you should also think about making future income. You can try to look for a part-job without having to leave your child. Make sure to always think that alimony and child support are considered temporary solutions for income.
3) Legal Preparation
In fact, many people will feel like they do not have many options when it comes to the legal aspects of divorce. That’s because they do not know what the options are. In this case, the divorce attorney will help you understand your option and help you to determine the great option for your situation.
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- Divorce or dissolution: You can try to look for a divorce attorney that can settle down your case outside the courtroom.
- DIY divorce: Recently, DIY divorces are rapidly growing in popularity. Just like other divorce processes, the DIY divorces also involve settling the terms, finishing paperwork and filling it with the court.
- Litigation: This is what most people think of when they are thinking of divorce. That’s when both parties hire an attorney and they use the court to determine the outcome of their divorce settlement. However, it tends to be the most expensive option as well.
- Collaborative Divorce: This is a divorce process where each party is represented by an attorney who has been trained in the collaborative process.
- Divorce meditation: In divorce mediation, a neutral third part will facilitate the negotiations between the parties to achieve a divorce settlement.
- Finding the right attorney: When choosing an attorney for your case, make sure to not go with the lowest cost solution. You should understand that an experienced attorney who has often settled a divorce case may cost more on an hourly basis.
4) Talking to your kids about divorce
The last stage you should do is to talk to your children about divorce. We all know that divorce can be stressful and painful for any family, but communication is very important in this case. Of course, your children have to understand that they are not responsible for what is taking place.
After talking to your children, they may realize that both parents love them and also want to be a part of their lives. Well, it will help your children to deal with the many changes which will take place with a divorce.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
