Divorce is the legal end of your marriage.
Let’s rewind a bit and talk about marriage. Marriage means a lot of things to a lot of people, but legally, it’s a contract between two people who become one team. You share benefits, responsibilities, and your lives start to overlap in all kinds of ways—financially, legally, emotionally, even day-to-day logistics.
Divorce, then, is the process of untangling this. It begins with your decision to act, and ends with a final decree, signed by a judge. You’ll make a lot of decisions in the middle. And these decisions will be influenced by the laws of the state you live in- there’s no one-sized-fits-all solution.
The good news? You Are Not Alone! We’re here to help. 👇
💫 4 Categories of Divorce Decisions
You’ll need to focus on 4 Categories of Divorce Decisions throughout your divorce journey. These are the issues you and your spouse will need to sort out—either by sitting down together (with or without expert help) or, if needed, in a courtroom where a judge will make the calls for you.
Assets & Debts
You and your spouse will need to figure out who gets which assets and who’s responsible for which debts.
💡 Vocab Refresher: Assets = money, property, your home, pets—basically anything of value. Debts (aka liabilities) = what you owe, like credit card balances, loans, and mortgages.
We know you have more questions -💡Am I in a community property state or equitable distribution state? 💡 How do I protect my credit? 💡 What happens to our house? And we’ve got you. Dive into one of the questions above or click on Assets & Debts above, to understand how it’s all managed in divorce.
Spousal Support
Spousal support—also called alimony or maintenance—is money one spouse pays to the other, often when there’s a big income or wealth difference, to help the lower-earning spouse adjust to post-married life.
It can be short-term or long-term, and is usually paid monthly or as a lump sum. You and your spouse can agree on the amount and terms (as long as it’s reasonable), or a judge can decide these details for you. There’s a lot more to unpack here, so💡 READ THIS 💡 to get the full scoop!
Child Support
Child support is a regular payment made by one parent to the other after a split, meant to help cover a child’s everyday needs like food, clothing, health care, and education.
What’s the goal? To ensure both parents contribute financially to their child’s well-being, no matter their relationship. In an ideal world, the divorce system aim for “fairness” and prioritizes what’s best for the kids.
We know you have more questions – 💡 How is child support calculated? Can it be changed? What does it cover? Dive in and💡READ THIS 💡to answer all of your questions.
Child Custody
Custody is all about who’s responsible for a child’s care and well-being after a divorce. When parents split, they’ll need to make a plan to cover all aspects of their kids’ lives, including questions like:
- Where will the kids live?
- Who’s handling the day-to-day stuff, like meals and school?
- Who decides on activities, like sports or music lessons?
- How much time will the kids spend with each parent?
- Can we change the arrangement?
There’s a lot to it, so we’re simplifying it for you. 💡 READ THIS 💡 to get the full scoop!
I Want: MORE ANSWERS
💡 Do I need a lawyer or are there other ways to do this (like mediation or collaborative law?)
💡 How does no-fault vs fault divorce impact me?
💡 What’s an uncontested divorce and why do I want one?
💡 What are prenups?
💡 What are postnups?
💡 Time out! I need a breather. Help me breathe.