From your financial assets, changes to the family structure, duration of the process and who to turn to first once you have reached a decision, these are the strings attached to divorce that are vital to take care of.
Aside from the gentle reminder during this distressing period of your life that things are and will be okay, you may also need a gentle reminder to notify people of your change in circumstances.
To make things easier for you, we have complied a list of the people you will also need to contact about your marital status:
Your Employer
Although this may initially be difficult to approach or discuss, it’s important to let your employer know, particularly if you have a pension scheme, or any other employment related benefits that could be effect due to your change in circumstances.
Your Mortgage Provider
Separating your assets when it comes to divorce isn’t an easy process and is in many cases the reason that those experiencing a divorce choose to seek the help of professionally trained divorce law lawyers. One of your largest assets will be your home, and will likely be the most difficult to make a decision over.
You may have questions on what steps to take when it comes to mortgage payments if you are no longer living in the property. Contacting your mortgage advisor as soon as possible will avoid the potential conflict or possible bad credit rating.
Your Local Authority
The amount of council tax that you pay is likely to change following your divorce, particularly if your living arrangements have changes as a result.
When living alone in a property, you should be entitled to a reduction in your council tax. Contact your local authority and explain your situation as soon as possible.
Your Bank
You may already be deep in discussion about how your assets, including your finances will be split as a result of your divorce. This is quite often one of the most complex areas when it comes to marriage separation and can in many cases cause conflict between separating couples.
In your discussions, it’s important for you to remember that you will need to discuss your divorce with your bank or building society. You will also need to take a look at your finances on a wider scale when it comes to your banking and consider which joint accounts you have, where exactly each shared bill comes from and whether you have any joint credit cards. There may also be outstanding hire purchase or loan agreements that need to be considered. It’s matters such as these that need to be examined closely, or they may end up becoming larger issues further down the line.
Once your bank has been notified of your divorce, you may be able to set aside time with your bank to determine all of the above and chose the best route moving forward when it comes to your banking.
HM Revenue & Customs
You could be paying too much tax if you fail to tell HMRC straightaway that you are getting divorced. There are online forms to complete along with information on why you should tell them of your change in circumstances.
Change of Address
If as a result of your divorce your address and name will be changing, you will need to contact the following:
- Insurance companies, for vehicle, content or life insurance
- DVLA
- Passport Office
- Utility companies such as gas, water, electric.
When going ahead with these changes you may need to provide a copy of your decree absolute, or in some cases, the original certificate.
We hope this quick checklist has been of some help.