How to protect your finances for divorce

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If you think that you will be ending your marriage in the near future and you are uncertain what the future will hold for you, you may want to start taking the right precautions now.  You have to make sure that you are protecting your financial security for later. 

Reduce unnecessary expenses as soon as you can.  Meet with your spouse and agree to cancel utilities and other bills.  You will probably need to have money later on and this is a way to save money.  Sell off your personal property that you do not need or want anymore.   You can do this now to avoid losing it later on.

Cancel all of your jointly owned credit cards.  You both should agree to cancel the cards and get separate ones.  You need to cancel the cards because the spouse can charge up all kinds of different charge on the cards and you will get stuck paying them back.  Canceling the cards now can save you money that you will need to have later on.

You may want to separate the jointly owned bank accounts.  If you have bank accounts together, you may want to divide the money first.  If not, your spouse may decide to go and take care of the money on their own and leave you with nothing.  If you have outstanding bills for the home, explain this to the spouse so that the arrangements can be made to pay for them.  If you do open up a different bank account, do it at another bank.  Do not stay with the same company. 

Stop contributing to combined accounts like 401K and pension plans.  Telling your place of employment usually does this.  Make the necessary arrangements so that your money is not being added to this account.  You have to do this until you find out what will happen to those accounts and who will benefit from them. 

Keep your job or try and find one.  You have to make sure that you are protecting yourself and able to raise your family. If you are not getting any income from your spouse, you will have to do something to support your monthly needs.  You may want to ask your 'soon to be ex' if they can help you financially until the divorce proceedings are over.  This is only recommended if you are ending the divorce in a good way.  If you are fighting over everything and not getting along, you need to contact your attorney and have them ask for you.