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Planning ahead during a same-sex divorce

Divorce is not easy for any couple. Marriage is supposed to be a lifelong commitment, and regardless of whether a divorce was your idea or your partner’s, ending something you expected to be lifelong is sure to stir up strong emotions and inevitable challenges. Nowadays, many same-sex couples face additional challenges that many male-female couples looking to divorce do not. This is largely because there is very little precedent for same-sex divorce cases in states such as Georgia, where this type of marriage only became legal relatively recently. Inconsistent laws and a lack of prior cases to look back on means many same-sex couples find themselves tied up in lengthy legal battles, which can impact many areas of their lives.

Planning ahead for your divorce can help minimize the strain that accompanies these legal challenges, and it can also help you find your own balance and prepare for, and even begin to look forward to, life on your own. Consider taking the following steps ahead of your same-sex divorce.

Outline your expenses

Even if you do not have a child or children in the picture, you and your soon-to-be-ex will need to determine who is going to pay for what. You may have a mortgage or a car payment for a home or vehicle you once shared, or you may have sacrificed your own career for the benefit of your spouse’s and feel that he or she needs to financially cover certain areas of your life as a result. Come to the table as prepared as possible for your best chance at not letting any expenses slip through the cracks.

Go back to work or find a new job

You may well need to make more money after a divorce, and enhancing your education or climbing the corporate ladder are possible methods of doing so. You may also choose to take either step simply to keep yourself busy and removed from the situation at hand or boost your self-confidence at a time when it may take a dip.

Consider your housing needs

Odds are, you and your ex do not plan to cohabitate after your split. With that in mind, you will need to make accommodations for where you and, if applicable, your children will live following your divorce. If one spouse stays in the family home, how will the other be compensated for leaving it? These are just a few of the considerations you will want to make ahead of your divorce to help you adapt, financially and emotionally, to your new circumstances.

Have additional questions or concerns regarding same-sex divorce? You may find it useful to contact an attorney.

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