Seven Ways to Protect Yourself in a Divorce

1. Change your mailing address, getting a post office box if necessary. (Realize that some mail may slip through and still go to your old address).

2. Secure your credit so that unexpected charges are not made on credit cards, bank credit lines or lines or credit or equity lines. Close down the line or require both signatures.

3. Watch for jointly held assets that one party may liquidate at any time.

4. Do not do or say anything that you don’t want to have brought out in court.

5. View your life as an open book. Don’t assume you will have privacy in any area of your life when going through a divorce, as all of your records-medical, therapy, financial, computer, cell phone, etc. - are open records in a divorce case.

6. Keep in mind that your activities are subject to surveillance by private detectives and that things you say or confide to third parties may be transmitted to your spouse or testified to in court.

7. Don’t try to hide assets and realize that your business and personal records can be subpoenaed and that you can be required to answer questions under oath.