Six Personal Traits That Help Women Successfully Survive Divorcen
Every woman who walks into
our office wants an answer to the exact same question. She wants to know
this: Will my family –both me and my children –be financially OK after
the divorce?
To help answer that
question, I advise all my clients on the importance of assembling a
skilled, experienced divorce team. We talk about what they need to do in
order to get their personal credit and finances in order. And, we
discuss “the divorce basics,” such as the difference between separate and marital property, etc.
But, what comes next? If you’re going through divorce, is there anything else you can do to keep the odds in your favor?
Well, interestingly enough,
over the years, I have noticed that certain personality traits seem to
serve women particularly well during the throes of divorce. Women with
these qualities seem to emerge from divorce in relatively good shape,
and they start their single lives with determination and vigor.
With these women in mind,
I’ve compiled a short list of the six key personal traits I think can
help you successfully survive divorce.
While you are going through divorce, you need to make best efforts to:
Put your emotions on the
back burner. As I tell every one of our clients, it is absolutely
critical that you learn to Think Financially, Not Emotionally®. Of
course, that’s easier said than done. Going through divorce is a
personal struggle on multiple levels, and it’s only natural that you are
going to have strong emotions, especially when it comes to issues
concerning your children. Still, you simply must work to keep your
feelings in check as much as possible. That’s the only way you can think
clearly about the important financial decisions ahead of you — and
those decisions are significant. In fact, decisions you make during your
divorce often have the potential to impact you for the rest of your
life. Clearly, this is not the time to take actions that are based on
revenge or malice . . . or even sadness, for that matter. Instead, you
have to be objective and practical. As someone once said, “Marriage is
all about love. But, divorce is all about money.” You have to make
calculated, smart moves, ones that point you in the direction of a
stable financial future.
Maintain your cool under
pressure. Emotions are bound to run high at some point during your
divorce, and when that time comes, your best bet is always going to be
to remain calm, cool and collected. This is especially true, if/when you
appear in front of a judge. Losing your composure or having outbursts
of anger may severely compromise your case –and your husband’s attorney
knows it.
I know it sounds like a
terribly insensitive strategy, but getting you to lose your composure
and show anger is a common tactic of many divorce
attorneys. By constantly pressing your buttons (and going over the same
issue over and over again), your husband’s attorney is hoping that you
will lose your cool. Then, he can say you have anger issues and that
your temper makes you an unfit mother. Even worse, if you have been a
victim of domestic abuse, your husband’s attorney can use your outburst
to make the claim that your husband was the victim of your abuse and
that he was only protecting himself. Believe it or not, this happens all
the time! Obviously, keeping your cool and maintaining your composure
is critical, especially in custody battles and/or domestic abuse cases.
Delegate. Divorce may be
tough, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Recognize that you
need help –for legal issues, financial matters and emotional concerns
–and then organize a top-notch divorce team that can deliver results.
Issue tasks according to professional abilities, so you can devote more
of your time and your energy on taking care of yourself and your family.
Keep a healthy focus on the
future. Anyone who is going through divorce has to keep their sights
trained on the future. Realize that no matter how horrible things are
now, ultimately, you and your kids will be okay. There is life after
divorce . . . and with the proper planning, your single life can be
productive, fulfilling and financially secure and stable, as well.
Stay organized. Divorce
proceedings require you to juggle many things simultaneously. Therefore,
it’s imperative that you stay organized. Since you’ll have to keep
track of appointments, paperwork and deadlines, it may make sense to
invest in a strategy to help you keep organized. For some women, that
may mean it’s time to upgrade to a smartphone or buy a new home
computer. These days, there are many great programs and apps that can
help you keep track of your appointments and stay organized. (But
remember: Make sure your husband didn’t install any spyware on your
electronic devices). Other women may opt for a more low-tech approach,
such as a pocket calendar. In any event, do not keep your important
papers at home or any place where your husband may have access to them.
You will need to obtain a safe deposit box, or store your important
papers with a trusted friend or relative.
As Marilyn Chinitz, Partner at Blank Rome, points out, staying organized can help you make smart decisions about your future.
“Keep monthly statements of
your bank, brokerage and retirement accounts. Keep copies of the joint
returns filed. Keep records of your credit card charges, all of which
should be independently maintained by you, not your spouse or his
accountant, ” Marilyn advises. “No one knows more about you, your
children and your expenses than you do, and when you are armed with
accurate, up-to- the- minute information, you are a formidable and
impressive opponent who makes decisions that are right for you and your
children.”
Educate yourself. Divorce
involves the scrutiny of every aspect of your personal and family
finances. Make sure you know all these details, so you develop a working
knowledge of your financial circumstances. In addition, make a
commitment to understand divorce terminology and how your state’s
divorce laws apply to you. This may seem like a daunting task, at first,
but you’ll be glad you made the extra effort.
“Knowledge is power,”
Marilyn concludes. “A successful divorce is dependent upon how invested
you are in knowing about you and your spouse’s financial circumstances,
so don’t wait until the word “divorce” is mentioned to learn the
answers to critical questions, such as:
What are your assets?
What does it cost to maintain your lifestyle?
What are your expenses?
What will it cost to send the children to college?
What are your liabilities?
How and where are your assets held?
Is there a life insurance policy to protect you and the children?
What does it cost to maintain your lifestyle?
What are your expenses?
What will it cost to send the children to college?
What are your liabilities?
How and where are your assets held?
Is there a life insurance policy to protect you and the children?
If you educate yourself
now, which you should do regardless of your marital status, you are
guaranteed to survive the difficulties of divorce. Take out the unknown
and provide your attorney and divorce financial advisor with concrete
information in order to obtain the results you want to achieve in the
divorce.”
Nurturing these six
personal traits can help you survive divorce both emotionally and
financially. Remember: there are two different ways to look at divorce.
On the one hand, divorce can be financially disastrous. But, on the
other hand, divorce can be the opportunity to lock in a secure financial
future. The difference lies in how you handle the process.
