wedding ring and broken red heart – divorce concept
How Do You Secretly Prepare for a Divorce?
There are a number of reasons why some people want to keep their divorce plans a secret. It could be that they are worried their spouse will try to hide money or assets, it could be because they are scared about the reaction or they simply have not made a decision yet and want to get some advice first.
Whatever the reason is for wanting to secretly prepare for a divorce, here are some tips on doing it under the radar:
Start with a free solicitor consultation
If you are not completely sure that you want to go ahead with divorce proceedings, the best option is to get some advice from experts, so that you can get a better idea of how the divorce will affect your life. Many solicitors provide a free consultation, so make sure you have any questions ready to ask them so that you can make a more informed decision.
Collate all financial and asset details
Dividing finances and assets is usually the biggest part of a divorce but you can help to get prepared by listing all assets and having all relevant financial information ready to discuss with your solicitor. For example, any outstanding loans, or any assets of value should be included in your list.
Emotional preparation
Going through a divorce can be a very stressful time and the more emotionally prepared you are, the better. You can help prepare by understanding the divorce procedure in more detail, so you know exactly what to expect. You should also consider the worse-case scenarios, such as if your spouse is not willing to co-operate throughout the divorce.
Talk to someone you can trust
Getting emotional support from a close friend or family member can help you to prepare for a divorce. As well as allowing you to talk through the reasons you are looking at going ahead with divorce, they may be able to help you with some of the practical sides of the divorce, such as changing living arrangements.
If you know someone who has recently gone through a similar divorce, it will definitely help to talk to them and ask them for some advice or what they might have done differently if they could. They may even be able to recommend a solicitor or law firm that they worked with, if they are happy with the way their divorce was handled by them.
Plan your next steps
Another way to prepare yourself is to think about living arrangements and where you are going to live once you start the divorce. You should have a backup plan if you are not able to continue living in your existing home, so get arrangements in place, whether that is renting a place or moving in with friends or family.
Open a separate bank account
If you want to be able to start paying for solicitors and any other costs without your spouse knowing, you should open up a separate bank account and try saving up some money to pay for the divorce costs.
Be mindful that if you start applying for credit, this could affect your spouse’s credit file, so taking out a credit card in your name could be better left until you are closer to officially starting the divorce. However, if you do not have a lot of credit in your name, it is definitely a good idea to get a credit card in your name to start building up your credit rating as an individual.
Keeping your divorce a secret can be difficult but if you work through all of these preparations, you will be in a much better position to go ahead with the divorce petition.
