Whether it's a friendly parting or a contentious battle, getting a divorce is never easy. And the emotion of the event often keeps people from thinking through all the financial implications. As a result, people often make serious financial mistakes that affect them for years to come. That's why we asked a financial planner to outline some of the top financial mistakes he sees when helping clients through a divorce.
Forgetting about shared debts
Many people just don't think about the implications of shared credit. If you took out any joint loans or credit cards during your marriage, you're just as responsible for paying them off as your spouse. Lenders won't forgive your responsibility after a divorce, even if your divorce agreement says that your ex-spouse will pay everything off. If they don't, lenders could still come after you for payment and your credit score could take a hit. A safer strategy to consider might be to pay off all shared debts before finalizing your divorce so that you both head off with a clean slate.Over-attachment to the family home
After years of living in your family home, it's easy to feel a strong emotional bond that makes people not want to move out. But you need to think hard about whether it makes financial sense to keep the house. Will you be paying the mortgage and the bills by yourself going forward? If you take the house, will your former spouse get more of the other assets you two accumulated during the marriage? It may make more sense to sell and downsize to a more affordable property, depending on your scenario.Not considering insurance on alimony and child support
If you're going to receive alimony and/or child support after your divorce, you should consider protecting that future income. If your ex-spouse dies, that income would disappear. A life insurance policy on your ex-spouse could replace this money if they died. It is possible to set up your divorce agreement so that some of the alimony or child support goes towards paying for this coverage. Your ex-spouse would have to sign off on the purchase of a life insurance policy on their life.Miscalculating the value of property
Coming up with a fair split of your property isn't always easy. What if you own assets that can go up and down in value like stocks? If an agreement for valuation cannot be achieved with your spouse, your attorney might approach the court or mediator for resolution.Mishandling retirement accounts
This one is tricky, and something many people struggle with during the divorce. You need to be careful with your retirement accounts because they carry more tax implications than other assets. To address this, your divorce agreement should include a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) for your shared retirement plans. This document lets you move money out of one retirement plan into another IRA or 401(k) to satisfy a divorce agreement, and generally you wouldn't owe any taxes when transferred.
Filing for divorce may seem like the end, but preparing to separate financially from your spouse is really the beginning of your life after the marriage ends. It is tedious, but you need to avoid making financial mistakes that will set you back. These concepts are discussed here to help make you aware of some of the biggest financial mistakes people make when getting divorced.
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