When you think about divorce, you tend to think of two people who end their marriage and go their separate ways. Why? Because that’s the goal, and it’s usually how it works out. However, not everyone is in a position where they can pick up and start life over independently. Some couples are in the awkward position of needing both their incomes to survive. Or they have children and because they can’t afford to live on only their own income, and no one they know is willing (or able) to take in their kids, they’re stuck together after the divorce.
It may sound like a strange situation, but it happens more than you realize. So what do you do if this happens to you? How do you survive the process of living with your ex spouse after you’ve finalized the divorce? Is there a way to make it easier on both of you? (and your kids!) Yes there is. We break it down for you in this series, and explain how you can survive this period of life until you are free to go your separate ways.
Your money will need to be separated!
Once you’re divorced, you’ll need to separate your finances. So make sure you have separate bank accounts and that neither of you has access to the other person’s money. As for who pays for what, the two of you are going to need to sit down and figure out ahead of time who will pay for what. This includes bills, household expenses, and incidentals.
Obviously, if only one of you has an income, this will look a little different. However, if you’re both earning an income, then it’s best to consider this a traditional roommate situation, and figure out ALL of the financial details ahead of time. Once you’ve got everything agreed on, write it all down and make sure that both of you sign it. That way, one can’t later claim that the heat or water bill was supposed to be the other person’s responsibility, or that they shouldn’t have to cover any groceries when they agreed to it upfront.
You’ll need to break down the household chores.
Again, if only one of you is earning the income that supports both of you, then it isn’t unreasonable to expect the other person to assume the larger portion of the domestic duties that supports both people’s home life. However, consider having the “stay-at-home” member of your roommate agreement do more of the household chores, and less of the personal chores.
For example, perhaps each person could do their own laundry, which is more personal, while vacuuming the common rooms could be done by the non-earning roommate. Also, it may be wise to have each person clean their own bedroom and bathroom, simply in order to respect one another’s privacy.
Divorce can make for some very challenging situations!
Join us next time for a look at some other situations you may have to deal with if you live with your spouse after the divorce. Until then, if you or a loved one are considering divorce but aren’t sure what that will entail for you, call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245 today. Our experienced divorce attorneys can walk you through whatever challenges you’ll face along the way.