Many people who go through a divorce in Connecticut feel ready to start a new life. While they may be anxious to do this, there are certain steps that will need to be taken in the time after the divorce has been finalized. This will protect the recently divorced individual financially and help them as they make their new start.
One thing to look at is medical insurance. If a person was on their spouse’s insurance, they will need to secure their own. If a person has their ex-spouse on their health insurance, they need to notify their insurance carrier in order to have the individual removed from the policy.
A name change may be necessary if a person took their ex-spouse’s name when they got married. In order to do this, a person will need a certified copy of their divorce decree. It is important to change their name on their passport, driver’s license, Social Security card, bank accounts and any other place where their name may be listed.
Assets will need to be split up. This may require that certain assets are retitled. For example, a person may need to use a “quit claim” deed in order to change the title on the family home if it is awarded to one of the individuals. If the couple had a joint mortgage, this will also need to be changed. One option could be refinancing the mortgage. This is necessary because even if the divorce judgment says that the home belongs to one of the ex-spouses, if both individuals’ names are still on the mortgage, both individuals are technically part owners.
As a person goes through the process of splitting and retitling assets, they may benefit from legal advice provided by a family law attorney. The attorney may help clients with asset valuation, joint debt, child custody and visitation.