Stage 3 - After the Separation
| Change names on documents, as necessary, to reflect the division of assets made in your judgment for legal separation or divorce. - House deeds - Vehicle titles - Stocks, Bonds - Bank accounts |
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| If you changed your name, contact your service providers to make the change on legal, financial, business documents. Contact Vital Statistics to identify documents where you may need to make changes. | |
| Review health, life, and disability insurance coverage. Replace any lost protection. Consider changing beneficiaries on policies you own, unless your separation agreement requires you to continue to name your former spouse or partner. | |
| Review your will and other estate planning documents. If you have no will, prepare and execute one. | |
| Contact your employer to make changes to benefits as needed that reflect your requirements as a single person. | |
| Obtain advice about filing your first tax return as a single person, particularly if you were still married at the end of the previous tax year. | |
| Collect and organize your important legal and financial documents. |