Divorce and separation are life changing experiences and rate up there with death, getting married and changing jobs. It is no wonder that in the midst of stress and emotion, no matter how amicable your separation, that things get overlooked. Here is a list of some important things that should be done, but sometimes get missed:
- Get a new will. Separation does not invalidate your will, although divorce does. Best to sit down while you are making big changes and consider how you can assist your family if something happens to you. Not having a will creates enormous pain and suffering for those we leave behind, which nobody wants.
- Change your life insurance. Just like your will, you need to update the person who receives your life insurance on your death if you don’t want your former partner to receive it. This can be a life insurance policy through your superannuation fund as well as a separate life insurance policy.
- Check your health insurance. If you were covered under a family policy, you should check whether you are still part of that policy or whether you need to take out a separate policy. Sometimes if someone repartners they add their new defacto to a family policy, not realising that they remove the previous partner from the policy.
- Work out where the pets are going to go. People sometimes assume that one party wants a pet, when in fact they may not be able to have them in rental accommodation or may not have a large enough area for them.
- Cover off on important days with your children. Get a calendar out and think about all the important days for the year ahead and discuss the arrangements. Sometimes special days fall at odd times and when you look at the big picture it can make things overall clearer and parents are less prone to disagreements.
