The Financial Divorce Blog » Divorce Pitfalls

Are you an Injured Spouse – Using IRS Form 8379

Dkane — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:41:08 +0000

Are you an Injured Spouse?

You are considered to be an injured spouse if you file a joint return and your overpayment of taxes (tax refund) is expected or has been applied (offset) against your spouse’s share of past due federal income tax, student loan, child support, alimony (spousal support), or state income tax. This is [...]

Divorce Pitfall #6: Getting Revenge

Dakane — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:14:41 +0000

Another common mistake – and one of the most difficult to avoid – that derails the divorce process and adds cost is the urge to use the divorce process to make the spouse miserable.

Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on what side you are on!), the divorce process is not setup to assign blame [...]

Divorce Pitfall #5: “It’s Just Money”

Dakane — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:06:58 +0000

One mistake many divorcing people make is to give the ex-spouse more than their share of the assets in an effort to make the divorce go smoother, more amiably, quicker, or all of the above. This is something that can cause you great regret later. It may seem like anything would be better [...]

Divorce Pitfall #4: Expecting Your Ex to Change

Dakane — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:22:27 +0000

Just like a new couple should not expect to change each other, you should not attribute new behaviors to your ex-spouse.

If she didn’t actively parent in the past, she probably won’t start now. If he refused to let your son have friends over in the past, he could continue that behavior.

Divorce Pitfall #3: Custody Decisions and Being Fair to the Ex

Dakane — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:30:19 +0000

When it comes to children’s placement, the schedule is so crucial to their future well-being. This is especially true with young children. It should not be purely about equality and fairness to the ex-spouse. The children are not a commodity to be split like your financial assets.

Consider that a “fair,” equal [...]

Divorce Pitfall #2: “Getting it Over With”

Dakane — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:05:10 +0000

The second trap that many people fall into is rushing the divorce process. It’s common to wish to move through the divorce as quickly as possible. Unfortunately this can lead people to rationalize making decisions that aren’t optimal or giving in to the wishes of the spouse. It’s good to compromise, but there’s [...]

Divorce Pitfall #1: “We Can Change It Later”

Dakane — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:19:39 +0000

In the next few posts we will address some common emotional issues that get in the way of acting rationally during a divorce.

One misconception people going through a divorce often have is that the terms of the divorce can be changed later if things don’t work out for the best. This is [...]