Tips to Help You Prepare for a Divorce

Baton Rouge and Gonzales both suffered from the effects of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Isaac. Many people planned ahead and prepared inventories of the things they could not take with them when they evacuated. Those same people took proofs of purchase. Some even took photographs or videos of their possessions. When their insurance companies asked them what they had lost and what was its value, they had the information available.

Divorce is a disaster. You should prepare for it in much the same way that you prepare for a fire or a flood. Here are some tips to help you prepare for a divorce.

• Make lists of your most valuable personal property, especially those items like jewelry that can disappear easily.
• Take pictures of them.
• Start making copies of account statements as they are received. Download the ones that are sent electronically to a flash drive and keep the drive in a safe place.
• Remember that your cell phone and Ipads are little computers that can be searched like big ones. Don’t keep your secrets on them or on a lap or desk top.

At some point after you and your spouse separate, you will be asked to make a “detailed” and “descriptive” list of all the things that you acquired during your marriage. An accurate inventory will be critical to a fair division of your marital property. Do not rely strictly on memory. Your memory will be affected by the stress of litigation. Like the Scouts, be prepared.