When going through a divorce, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself— is keep record of everything. Documenting divorce is extremely important to the process. By doing so, you’re protecting yourself, your case, and the outcome of this whole situation. Documenting divorce can make a huge difference when it comes down to a ‘he said she said’ or missed appointment. By keeping a record, you can keep things on track and save money.
Documenting Divorce: Keeping Record of EVERYTHING
Important Dates In Your Divorce
One of the most important aspects of documenting divorce comes in the form of saving dates. In short, you want to keep a record of any important date in your divorce. This can begin before you actually split up. For instance, you may want to document times when you went to therapy or sought counseling. Then, keep a record of when you actually split up and began living separately.
Also, keep documents that show when you split finances and began banking individually. Any actual documentation to support any of these dates will help– like receipts, bank statements, separation papers etc. But for those things that don’t require documents. Just write the dates down to keep them accurate in your mind. Not to mention, writing down important meetings, mediations, and the like will help you to not forget them. Not only is missing important meetings damaging to your case, it’s also very costly.
Daily Events in Your Parenting Life
If you have children from this spouse, keeping record of your parenting life can be an important aspect of documenting divorce. This can be as simple as keeping a journal of what you did with your kids. How you spent the day, where you went, and what you did. If you have any receipts or other documents from your time with your kids, you should file those.
In addition, keep a record of any transfers betweens you and your spouse. Document when you dropped the kids off with your spouse, when you picked them up– any dates, times, and locations. Also, you may want to record any statements your children make regarding their stay with your spouse. However, refrain from using your own personal words or thoughts. Stick to writing down exactly what they said.
Communication with Your Spouse
Another part of documenting divorce will be keeping record of your communication with your spouse. You can begin by keeping simple notes about your conversations, just covering what you talked about. Always include the date and time of the conversation and the form of communication, like text, phone call or in person. Also, save any texts or emails that you have with your spouse, even when they seem totally unimportant.
In general, you may never need the large majority of your divorce documenting files. However, you never know what may prove helpful throughout the process of ending your marriage. Therefore, you want to keep as many details as possible.
