There are many things to think about as you slowly move through the divorce process. Like many, your attention may immediately turn to property division. Here’s why: You want to make sure you retain as many assets as possible.
While there are many categories of property that will come into play, financial assets may move to the forefront of your mind. These can include but are not limited to the following:
- Retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs
- Pensions
- Profit sharing
- Bank accounts (savings and checking)
- Cash on hand
- Educational accounts
- Bonds
- Stocks
- Annuities
- Certificates of deposit (CD)
- Life insurance policy cash value
- Mutual funds
As you can see, there are many financial assets you’ll need to share information on during your divorce.
You should never assume you can hide something from the court, as this will end up working against you in the end. Not only should you be transparent, but you should do your best to ensure that your ex-spouse doesn’t hide anything.
There is no way of knowing exactly what will happen in regard to property division. Along with these financial assets, others will come into play, such as the family home, motor vehicles, personal property and business interests.
The best approach you can take is to make a list of all your financial assets as soon as possible. From there, learn more about your legal rights and how these assets will be divided.
With knowledge of the divorce process and a system for protecting your rights, you have a better chance of feeling good about how things end up.
Source: FindLaw, “Checklist: Dividing Marital Property,” accessed Feb. 16, 2018