ADVANCE PREPARATION IS IMPORTANT - WE CAN HELP YOU!

1. Consult an attorney.
Becoming informed about your legal rights and responsibilities is the most crucial step in the divorce process. An experienced divorce attorney will be able to counsel you on the law as it applies to the facts of your situation and advise you on the best way to proceed (or not proceed). An example is illustrative: Suppose that you and your spouse are constantly fighting and the arguments are causing great distress to your children. Your spouse refuses to move out. You decide to take the children and live at your parents’ house until the divorce is final, at which time you will move back to the marital home. From a legal point of view, moving to your parents’ home, even temporarily, could be a huge mistake. This is just one of the many things a divorce attorney will discuss with you during a consultation.
2. Copy documents.
A little planning goes a long way in this area because it is much more difficult to obtain these documents through discovery procedures at a later date. Go through the household files and make copies of everything you can find: tax returns, bank statements, check registers, investment statements, retirement account statements, employee benefits handbooks, life insurance policies, mortgage documents, financial statements, credit card statements, wills, Social Security statements, automobile titles, etc. If your spouse is self-employed, it is important to gather as much information as possible about the finances of the business. Additionally, don’t forget to check the home computer as a source of financial information.
3. Inventory household and family possessions.
You need not make an exhaustive list including every single kitchen utensil, but do list the major items: furniture, artwork, jewelry, appliances, automobiles, etc. Don’t forget to check the storage areas of your home and your safe deposit box for valuables.
4. Find out exactly what your spouse earns.
If your spouse earns a regular salary, it is easy to look at a pay stub to determine his/her income. However, if your spouse is self-employed, owns a business, or receives any portion of his/her income in cash, it is much more difficult to determine the amount of his/her income. If your spouse has a business partner, you may be able to learn how the partners are paid during a casual conversation with the partner. If your spouse is self-employed or gets paid in cash, keep track of the money flowing in for several months.
5. Put your children at the top of your agenda.
As you realize that a divorce is imminent, you will undoubtedly spend lots of time researching, collecting documents, interviewing attorneys, etc. Even though these activities take up much of your time, you must remember to put your children first. Of all the parties to a divorce, children are the ones who often suffer the most. During the divorce process, keep your children’s routines as normal as possible. If you and your spouse are arguing in front of the children – stop. If you and your spouse cannot be together with the children without arguing, create a schedule of separate times for each of you to be with the children. Stay involved (or become involved) in your children’s school, sports, and social activities. Do not badmouth your spouse to your children. Do not use the children as your source of psychological support. Children need and deserve the love and attention of both of their parents before, during, and after divorce. Put your children first in your life.

Our Law Firm is experienced in all phases of divorce and family law.  We service all the Courts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.    

Call us at (631) 777-7200 or after hours at (643) 431-4018

425 Broadhollow Road,  Melville, NY 1747 

Located on Route 110 one block south of Long Island Expressway (Exit 49S) in Citibank Building

Law Offices of Herbert Rubenfeld, P.C.
Providing Divorce and Family Law Services for More Than 50 Years