Divorce is hectic. It’s like that for everyone (so don’t worry – you’re not alone). Things get lost in the shuffle, which makes it tough when your divorce lawyerasks for a certain piece of documentation. Honing your organizational skills now will save you quite a bit of frustration later.
How Late is Too Late?
Whether you’re in the planning stages or you’ve entered the property division phase of divorce, it’s never too late to start getting organized.
If you’re tearing apart the house searching for documents your lawyer asked for, it’s definitelytime.
Your first task: gather everything that pertains to your divorce and put it on the dining room table. You’re looking for financial paperwork, any divorce papers that have already been filed, kids’ school and medical records… everything. (If all of your files are digital, create a catch-all folder.)
Start at the Top of the Pile
Organization experts suggest dividing your paperwork and documents into basic files before trying to nail down a system. You could start with separate folders for:
- Kids, if applicable. Your children’s birth certificates, medical records and everything else that pertains to them will go in this folder.
- Finances. Bank statements, property tax and personal tax forms, and your mortgage information belong in this folder.
- To and from your San Bernardino divorce lawyer. All of the documents you and your lawyer have shared, including petitions regarding child custody, belong in this folder.
The important part is to make your organization system work for you. If you’re happier with an inbox-outbox setup than you are with files in a drawer, then do it. As long as you can access your files quickly and easily, the style should be all your own.
Organization Tips from the Pros
It’s important that you keep all of your files together – and even more important that you keep them away from your kids. There are two very good reasons for that: one, you don’t want them privy to details they shouldn’t have; and two, the last place you want to find your important documents lining the dishwasher or being hand-fed to the dog.
Finally, file everything as soon as you get it. Procrastination only gives your documents more time to lose themselves. If you stay on top of things, you won’t get overwhelmed – and both you and your divorce lawyer will be happy about that.