Marriage is a beautiful bond between two people. Not only is it the joining of your love, but it is also the joining of your finances. Due to this intermingling of your financials, the divorce process can have devastating impacts on your credit if it is not properly handled. Below are a couple of things to keep in mind during the divorce process.
Check your Credit Reports
Before and during the divorce proceedings, make sure to check your credit reports so that you have a good understanding of what accounts you and your partner have. This will allow you to accurately divide up the responsibility or close out all outstanding debts. The last thing you want is a debt to slip through the cracks and cause a late payment or a default on your credit.
You can obtain a full credit report for free every 12 months by going to annualcreditreport.com.
Review your divorce decree
The divorce decree will spell out who is responsible for paying which debts. This can mean that what was originally a joint debt is now the responsibility of only one partner. However, just because the divorce decree says that you are not liable for the debt, that does not change the fact that any subsequent late payments can still be reflected on your credit report.
If possible, have your partner transfer the account from joint to under their individual name so that the account is no longer linked to your name and social security number.
Understand Your State’s Property Laws
If you reside in a community property state, all debts that were incurred in the marriage are joint. This means that even if you did not know that your spouse incurred a debt, you are still liable for it. It also means that if your spouse incurred a debt in their name alone during the marriage, you can be held liable for this debt’s repayment. This responsibility continues even after divorce. Therefore, it is important that you know whether you are in a community property state, like California and Nevada for example.
Stay Current with Your Child Support
If during the divorce you are ordered to pay child support, make sure that you stay current with your payments. Like any other debt, late payments on child support will negatively affect your credit report and these negative marks will remain on your credit report for seven years.
