Even the smoothest divorce is a difficult process. Usually by the end of it people do not want to think about what they just went through. They just want to move forward. Here are a few tips as to what to do once you get your Final Judgment of Divorce:
1. Find a safe place to keep it – Upon leaving the Court you will receive a Gold Sealed Judgment of Divorce. This is your official Judgment of Divorce that you may have to show in the future if you are changing your name, selling or purchasing real estate, or getting remarried. The Judgment of Divorce should be kept in a safe place, or at least in a place you will remember. Some suggestions are a bank safety deposit, a safe in your home or a fire box in your home.
2. Update your insurances – Health, Homeowner’s, Auto and Life. As you are no longer married all of these insurances should be reviewed at a minimum; and most likely modified to reflect your new marital status.
3. Update your Will – Like your insurances you should review your Last Will and Testament upon your divorce. If you we’re leaving everything to your spouse you might want to change that. Equally important is you Living Will (Health Care Directive) and Power of Attorney.
4. Update your children – Just kidding. However, you should make sure that your name is associated with your children’s school and extra-curricular activities to make sure you and your spouse both receive notices.
5. Update your titles – Is the car you’re driving and received in the divorce in your ex’s name? What about the house? Is it titled properly after the divorce?
6. Update your passwords/unlink accounts – Is your ex still on accounts with you? Checking accounts, e-mail accounts, utilities, etc. Systematically go through all of your accounts and make sure they are in your name alone. Also, are you one of those people that use the same password or a variation of it for all of your accounts? If so, you might want to pick a new one since most likely your ex knows your old one.
