WHILE MARRIED

• Keep receipts for major purchases; may be important for insurance, tax and divorce purposes
• Prepare home inventory (insurance, divorce)
• Know where deeds to real property are kept
• Know where income tax returns are kept
• Avoid being a party to tax fraud

WHEN DIVORCE IS POSSIBLE

• Make copies of deeds
• Make copies of tax returns
• Acquire skills to better equip yourself for the work place
• File past due tax returns, if any
• Do not under-report income
• Keep accurate financial records
• Make copies of insurance policy
• Attempt to obtain credit in your name
• Insist that car you drive have at least your name on the title and registration
• Obtain inventory of safety deposit box
• Videotape contents of home (for insurance/divorce purposes)

WHEN DIVORCE IS LIKELY

• Procure safe address for personal mail
• Procure safe place for valuables
• Procure safe place for documents
• Attempt to get control over credit cards
• Consult an attorney
• Consider bankruptcy; make economic plans with knowledge of bankruptcy law if financial situation is tenuous
• Have cosmetic surgery and other medical problems attended to
• Review insurance coverage and beneficiaries — if overinsured, reduce insurance; set up living trusts, UGMA accounts. Get finances in order
• Consider repayment of family loans
• Consider training for meaningful job; enroll in courses to upgrade
• Consider upgrading wardrobe

WHEN DIVORCE STARTS

• Consider removing personal property to safe location
• Consider securing bank accounts, stocks, bonds, investment accounts
• Consider reducing credit card debt
• Change exemptions to obtain minimum refund
• Cancel equity loans which have been authorized but not used
• Cancel credit cards
• Consider stopping IRA's and 401k's on basis that any savings obtained will be shared equally with your spouse.
• Consider cross complaint and lis pendens on spouse's real estate
• Write a new Will, Living Will, and Power of Attorney
• Reexamine tax deductions to reflect actual situation
• Consider costing out health insurance
• Consider 10 year rule for Social Security benefits

WHEN DIVORCED

• Pay all support and alimony by check
• Keep record of each payment by date, check number and amount
• Keep in touch with children
• Any changes to your divorce judgment which are not court orders, should be reduced to writing, signed and dated by both parties, and then approved by the Court
• Keep records of all contact and activities with your children in which you participate
• Keep financial records of all monies paid to or on behalf of children in addition to child support
• Improve your bookkeeping records to have better understanding of your income, assets, expenses and liabilities
• If planning to remarry, have a prenuptial agreement!

AFTER DIVORCE

• Do not change the terms of a court judgment unless the change is in writing, dated and signed and approved by the court