Will 2018 mark the first complete calendar year since your divorce? If so, January may feel like a new beginning. Divorce is a major life change, and the new year is a good opportunity to make positive life changes. This year, focus on resolutions which will turn your first-year post-divorce into your best year yet.
Diet, exercise, work-life balance — these are typical New Year’s resolutions that are helpful in creating a better life. But there are also resolutions you can make that are specific to improving your life post-divorce.
- Plan For The Future
When you’re in the middle of a divorce, it’s hard to think about much else other than getting through it. Your divorce settlement may include how to divide the assets and how to provide for the children, but now it’s time to focus on a personal long-term plan. Put a budget in place for your savings, and decide if you need to alter your retirement plans in order to have a secure financial future. You may also consider buying a house or relocating to a new area. Now that the divorce dust has settled, this is the time to create a personal vision.
- Handle Post-Divorce Issues
Your divorce paperwork may contain items such as alimony payments, child support or child custody arrangements. It’s important to ensure these provisions are carried out, and to take action if your spouse doesn’t live up to their end of the deal. You may even need to file a motion to have the courts enforce a particular part of your divorce decree. Hopefully this scenario doesn’t arise, but if it does, take care of it as quickly and efficiently as possible.
- Focus on Family
Divorce is full of emotional upheaval for your children, too. Now that your divorce is done, you need to create a co-parenting plan which puts the needs of your children first. It’s important to set aside negative feelings and work together to successfully parent your children. This may take the form of a custody arrangement plan, or the occasional meeting to determine visitation details. Resolving to be there for your children will benefit them for years to come.
The new year is the time to create, and follow through with, resolutions which focus on you and your future. However, it behooves you to be prepared for anything. While you enter a new phase of your life, keep your divorce paperwork handy in case you need to speak with your attorney to clarify any issues which may arise. If you have questions or issues that are still unresolved we would like to help. Please contact Pacific Cascade Legal today so you can get started on a better tomorrow.