If you're headed towards divorce, you probably have a lot on your mind, especially if you have children with your spouse. Initially, you’ll need to decide on asset and debt division, child custody, and where you’re going to live. If you’ve been out of the workforce while raising your children, you may have to think about going back to work or school, or both.
Right now, your priorities are:
- Gathering copies of all financial documents.
- Closing joint accounts or putting them in one spouse’s name.
- Deciding on child custody.
- Creating a post-divorce budget.
- Deciding where to live.
- Deciding what to do with your house.
- Keeping your divorce amicable.
- Deciding how to split marital assets and debts.
- Possibly seeking counseling to help you cope with the divorce.
- Keeping your children happy while going through so many changes.
For many spouses, the hardest part of divorce is the process itself. Closing joint accounts, refinancing mortgages, switching names on auto loans – it can all get overwhelming. So, naturally, it can be difficult for spouses to “see the forest through the trees” as the old saying goes. If you’re getting a divorce, we want you to expect one thing that’s a constant after a divorce – and that’s change.
Circumstances Will Change After Divorce
It can feel like quite an accomplishment for spouses to finally reach a settlement agreement. However, what many spouses fail to realize is that things are going to change. How a couple’s situation looks like on the day they sign a divorce agreement, often looks quite different two years after the divorce is final. Sometimes, things are already very different six months after the divorce is final.
Here are the types of circumstances that often change within a year or two of divorce:
- One or both spouses enter a new romantic relationship.
- A spouse marries someone new.
- A spouse wants to move-away for work or a new relationship.
- The spouse paying child or spousal support loses their job.
- The spouse receiving child or spousal support starts to earn significantly more income than they did before.
- A child decides that they want to move in with the other parent.
- A child does not get along with mom’s or dad’s new boyfriend or girlfriend.
- Spouses who got along during divorce, don’t get along anymore.
- The paying spouse becomes disabled or ill and can’t afford to pay child or spousal support.
- The spouse receiving spousal support does not make a good faith effort to become self-supporting.
Any of the scenarios we mentioned above can lead to a one-way trip back to court for what is called a post-judgement modification. If you find yourself needing to revisit your child support payments, child custody, or visitation, please understand that this is only normal after a divorce – you’ll have plenty of company.
Need a Pennsylvania no-fault divorce attorney? Contact us today to learn about our free consultations and low-cost divorce services!
