When most people decide to get married, they take deliberate steps towards melding their lives together. For instance, taxes may be filed jointly, debts are shared, and your spouse’s name likely gets listed on a wide array of documents. Consider how many times you have received a form and automatically listed your spouse as your emergency contact.
The point is that you spent a significant amount of time intertwining your lives, and it will take some effort to undo that. Because divorce can be overwhelming, we wanted to provide you with the following list of common administrative things you should look at post-divorce.
Emergency Contact Information
Places like your office, gym, and doctors’ offices may ask you to list someone as your emergency contact. This one is the first on the list because it is relatively easy to fix and overlook.
If you are injured, first responders and other medical professionals don’t just call your emergency contact to let them know you were injured. They may ask for personal information about your allergies, current medications, and medical history—things they must learn to make rapid decisions regarding your treatment.
When you go back and choose a new person, consider giving them medical power of attorney. If this person is close enough to you to know your personal medical information, they may be in the proper position to make medical decisions on your behalf.
Beneficiaries
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that because you are divorced, your ex-spouse will no longer be listed as your beneficiary. If you have a bank account, life insurance policy, or retirement account, you must physically change these.
There is no need to wait. When you are divorced, change the beneficiary. If something were to happen to you the day after your divorce, your ex-spouse would likely receive that money. There are some circumstances where the divorce decree mandates or requires a specific beneficiary. When your attorney goes over the divorce agreement, ask them if you can choose a beneficiary entirely of your choosing.
Along those same lines, you will need to update any estate planning documents you created during your marriage. If you have an existing will, there is a high probability that you had a significant portion of your assets going to your (former) spouse.
Fraser, Wilson, & Bryan P.C.
Our team of attorneys at Fraser, Wilson, & Bryan are well accustomed to handling both family law and estate planning. After representing you for your divorce, we can update your estate planning documents to reflect your circumstances. If you have any further questions or are ready to meet with an attorney, contact us to schedule your free consultation.
