Protecting Yourself in Divorce: 3 Overlooked Steps You MUST Take Before Divorcing in 2025
Is divorce on your horizon for 2025? As you enter the planning stages for this major life transition, there is a flurry of steps to get ready for, from finding an attorney to making temporary custody arrangements. As your divorce to-do list grows, however, don’t overlook three small actions that can be pivotal for protecting yourself throughout the process.
Clear the Digital Cloud
In today’s tech-driven world, our personal lives are often stored in the digital cloud—shared devices, online accounts, and even social media platforms. Do you and your spouse share a phone plan? Or the same Apple ID? Do you have a cloud storage account or use a password manager? Any or all of these things can provide an easy way for a snooping spouse to access call and text logs, photos, files, internet search history, and more. Privacy is paramount in divorce to protect often sensitive information.
Use these tips to secure online accounts:
- Get your head (and data) out of the cloud. Imagine saving your draft divorce papers to your phone or laptop, only to have your files show up on your spouse’s device as well. If you share a cloud (i.e., iCloud) account with your spouse, you are at risk for unintentional sharing of photos, important emails, call/text logs, and financial documents across all connected devices. To prevent this, you need to disconnect all your personal devices from cloud sharing. Before doing so, copy over all files from the old Cloud account to your own local hard drive to preserve those records.
- Change passwords. Update passwords on all your accounts, such as email, social media, and credit cards, to something your spouse cannot guess. Write these down in a secure place and avoid saving the password to your device. If you use a shared password manager like LastPass, disconnect from it.
- Review shared accounts. If you and your spouse share accounts, such as a family Amazon, consider setting up separate accounts to establish financial independence and greater privacy.
Tip: Taking control of your digital life ensures your privacy and prevents unnecessary conflicts during divorce proceedings. If you don’t feel tech-savvy enough to take these steps on your own, contact a computer service or internet provider for assistance. You may also consider starting a new phone plan in your name only as a way to ensure the separateness of devices.
Open a Personal Bank Account
The date you file for divorce marks a cut-off in the accrual of marital assets. Establishing your own bank account in your name highlights the new separate status of your finances and gives you greater financial independence as you transition out of shared marital finances.
To set up a separate account:
- Choose a bank your spouse doesn’t use. This adds a layer of privacy.
- Start making deposits. Move your earnings, gifts, or loans you receive into this account. Negotiate with your spouse about current shared accounts.
- Decide what happens to balances in shared accounts. Some couples decide to liquidate and split existing checking accounts or freeze accounts with mutual approval needed for any withdrawals. Get your agreement on shared accounts in writing.
Having a personal account not only gives you financial autonomy but also creates a clear record of your income and expenses.
3. Run a Credit Report
Divorce often comes with financial surprises, including debts and account balances that you may not have known existed. One of the best ways to protect yourself is by understanding your credit standing. To check your credit…
- Get a free credit report. You’re entitled to one free report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to access yours.
- Look for joint accounts. Identify any accounts you share with your spouse and make a plan to close or transfer these accounts.
- Address discrepancies. If you find debts or accounts that seem unfamiliar, take steps to investigate and resolve them. If there is a joint credit card with a high balance that you know your spouse mainly used, collect itemized account statements to show that your spouse bears more responsibility when assigning this debt during the divorce.
Your credit score will play a significant role in your post-divorce financial life, impacting your ability to rent or buy a home, secure loans, or open credit lines. Protecting your credit now will help you build a stable financial future.
Are you protecting yourself?
By taking these three critical steps before filing in 2025, you can minimize stress and maximize your financial protection. Preparing your digital, financial, and credit profiles is a must for getting you through the challenges ahead with your peace of mind intact.
In the divorce planning stages? Start safeguarding your future today by scheduling an initial attorney consultation with one of our skilled divorce specialists. Get answers to all your questions, and a clear strategy for moving forward. Call us at 888-888-0919, or please click the green button below.
