You don’t just need a divorce attorney, if you decide to go separate ways.
If you end up needing a divorce attorney, it might be wise to consider an estate planning attorney as well, according to Nasdaq in “What to Do If You’re Divorcing Your Valentine.”
Valentine’s Day can bring couples closer together or drive them apart. Many people report that Valentine’s Day is when they decided that they needed to get a divorce.
If you are one of those people who has decided to get a divorce after Valentine’s Day, then there is a lot that you need to do, starting with contacting a family law attorney. However, that should not be the only attorney that you call when getting divorced.
Most people create their estate plans with the assumption that they are going to stay married to their current spouses. A large portion of the estate is meant to go to the spouse.
The spouse is often given authority in power of attorney documents. Even life insurance policies and retirement accounts name the spouse as a beneficiary.
When you get divorced, all of that needs to be changed as quickly as possible. It is not something that you want to put off until later, because you do not know when something might happen to you. For example, if you are in a car accident a couple of months after your divorce, you might not want your ex-spouse making your medical decisions, especially if the divorce was bitter.
A divorce attorney can guide you in going your separate ways and an estate planning attorney can advise you on creating an estate plan that fits your unique situation.
Reference: Nasdaq (Feb. 10, 2017) “What to Do If You’re Divorcing Your Valentine.”
