...

Marriage, Finances and Preparing for Unforeseen Events

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in the landmark case, Obergerfell vs. Hodges, which provided equal protection for same-sex marriage in our country. As a result, same-sex couples now have the same benefits- and risks- associated with marriage as opposite-sex couples.

Managing risk and preparing for unexpected events is a part of sensible planning for married couples of all sorts, same-sex couples included. Today’s blog post from the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, would like to help same-sex couples better understand their finances in the context of marriage and divorce.

Having a say in the household finances is essential.

If you are active and involved in planning the financial present and future for your family, you are at a distinct advantage compared to those spouses in our country that do not. Personal finance is just that- personal. There is no one-size-fits-all rule that you can go by that will work in all aspects for you and your family. As a result, the only way to ensure that your family is taken care of and that you know how to contribute to this process is to take an active role in managing the financial well-being of your household.

Unexpected events are those that take us by surprise and have the potential to stun and paralyze us. What once seemed confident may become uncertain and scary in the blink of an eye. Having your spouse pass away is one such unexpected event. For family law practitioners, divorce would be an unexpected life event that we see happen to people more often than we would like.

A divorce is an unexpected event that can have far-ranging effects beyond just turning your financial world upside down. The emotional component of losing your life partner and parent to your child is daunting to stare down. Add on top of that any issue that will need to be resolved in the divorce itself, and you can already see that as far as unexpected life events are concerned, divorce is foremost among them.

Becoming financially independent is the key to surviving- and thriving- after divorce.

When I say the term “financial independence,” thoughts may spring to your mind of those get-rich-quick radio shows that play on AM radio at all hours of the day. For many of us who work 9-5 jobs, financial independence may seem like a faraway dream- one that, due to our family commitments, is not possible for us. However, I am using the term differently in this blog post.

What I mean when I say financial independence is allowing yourself to be committed and trusting of your spouse during the marriage while maintaining a certain degree of self-sufficiency from a money standpoint. In case of an emergency or another unforeseeable event, you can and should act independently should the situation demand this kind of action.

How can you manage to become financially self-sufficient? Let’s discuss some tips that I have learned as a family law attorney.

Keep essential financial documents and file them for future use.

Financial documents are typically available to you online in PDF form, so why should you want to have hard copies of them in your residence? These sorts of documents would include safe deposit box information, bank account numbers, and tax returns. If you have retirement accounts like Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA)s, pensions, or mutual funds, these documents should be kept in whatever file cabinet houses those documents.

Copies of those policies should be maintained and reviewed periodically if you have life insurance. As life changes, you may need to update them due to beneficiaries changing during a family case, for instance.

A premarital agreement is another excellent example of financial paperwork that you will need to keep handy in your divorce. A premarital agreement is signed and agreed to before your divorce and concerns how certain pieces of property will be handled in the event of a divorce (or the death of either you or your spouse). Having to manage your finances alone is daunting enough. Not knowing where all your accounts are or how to access them can be a sickening feeling in the event of an emergency.

Should you have your checking and savings accounts?

My wife and I share checking, and savings account in my marriage. This offers several advantages for spouses. First of all, I would advise living on a budget as an adult. A budget is not constricting but instead tells you what you can spend your money on. This is freeing in the purest sense, instead of spending your money first and then wondering where it all went.

When you live on a budget and share a checking account with your spouse, you can quickly tell what money is going into your account and what is coming out. I can’t think of a better way to manage your finances than to share the responsibility with your spouse while knowing precisely the money coming in and the money coming out to pay bills.

However, that’s not to say that there is no scenario where keeping a checking and savings account separate from your spouse’s is a good idea. This is especially true if you anticipate that you or your spouse will be filing for divorce in the immediate future. Having ready access to money can solve many problems and create great peace of mind for you.

Improve your credit

When your spouse makes all of the financial decisions for your family, you are entrusting them with too much responsibility. Your spouse may have credit accounts that go unattended to and ultimately are unpaid. Since Texas is a community property state, these unpaid bills could stand to harm your credit as well as your spouse’s if your name is on the account itself.

In the future, if you want to buy a car or a home, having good credit is essential. A history of unpaid bills can negatively affect your credit and leave you without options in the future. Review your credit report to make sure you recognize all of the open accounts in your name. If you do not remember one, contact the credit bureau to do some research.

Of course, the need for good credit is diminished if you choose to live a life that does not incorporate the use of debt. However, I realize that a no-debt lifestyle may dramatically change your current lifestyle, so baby steps are probably needed to get to this stage.

Save, save, save

If you choose to have your own personal savings account, it is wise to save money and to keep it there if you need to use it in the future for things like hiring a divorce lawyer. Again, I am not advising you to hide money from your spouse.

I am also not telling you to start saving for a divorce attorney throughout your marriage. This would destroy the trust of your wedding and is just plain unnecessary. However, by saving money with your spouse during the marriage, you can eliminate much of the need to borrow money for day-to-day things while also ensuring your financial self-sufficiency if an unexpected life event occurs.

Questions on divorce, LBGT marriage, or any other family law matter? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC

The licensed family law attorneys with the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, offer free of charge consultations six days a week to potential clients like yourself. Contact us today to set up a no-strings-attached meeting.

Ebook

Adobe Stock 62844981[2]If you want to know more about what you can do, CLICK the button below to get your FREE E-book: 16 Steps to Help You Plan & Prepare for Your Texas Divorce

Divorce Wasting Assets[4] If you want to know more about how to prepare, CLICK the button below to get your FREE E-book: 13 Dirty Tricks to Watch Out For in Your Texas Divorce, and How to Counter Them” Today!

Financial Checklist[3] Get this FREE download about what you need to know before filing for divorce.

Other Articles you may be interested in:

  1. Financial Decisions associated with Family Law Matters
  2. 6 Tips – On How to prepare for a Texas Divorce
  3. How am I going to Pay for My Texas Divorce?
  4. Why do divorces cost so much in Texas?
  5. How Much Will My Texas Divorce Cost?
  6. 8 Tips for Reducing the Cost of a Divorce in Texas
  7. Low cost and affordable divorces, attorneys, websites, and divorce Costs in Texas
  8. Can I sue my spouse’s mistress in Texas?
  9. Roadmap of Basic Divorce Procedure in Texas
  10. Child Custody Basics in Texas
  11. 6 Mistakes that can Destroy Your Texas Divorce Case

Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC | Houston, Texas Divorce Lawyers

The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, routinely handles matters that affect children and families. If you have questions regarding divorce, it’s essential to speak with one of our Houston, TX, Divorce Lawyers right away to protect your rights.

Our divorce lawyers in Houston, TX, are skilled at listening to your goals during this trying process and developing a strategy to meet those goals. Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC by calling (281) 810-9760 or submit your contact information in our online form. The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, handles Divorce cases in Houston, Texas, Cypress, Klein, Humble, Kingwood, Tomball, The Woodlands, Houston, the FM 1960 area, or surrounding areas, including Harris County, Montgomery County, Liberty County, Chambers County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, and Waller County.

Share this article

Category

Categories

Contact Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC Today!

At the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, the firm wants to get to know your case before they commit to work with you. They offer all potential clients a no-obligation, free consultation where you can discuss your case under the client-attorney privilege. This means that everything you say will be kept private and the firm will respectfully advise you at no charge. You can learn more about Texas divorce law and get a good idea of how you want to proceed with your case.

Office Hours

Mon-Fri: 8 AM – 6 PM Saturday: By Appointment Only

"(Required)" indicates required fields