What Questions Should You Ask During Divorce?

Whether to end your marriage is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will ever have to make. This is an emotional matter, but it is still important to approach certain aspects of it from an analytical perspective. Once you review the following list of questions, you may reconsider your goals for your divorce, and you may be better prepared to move forward while working with an attorney. Contact an experienced family law attorney for help during this difficult time. Contact an experienced family law attorney from Brown Borkowski & Morrow in Farmington Hills, Michigan, for help during this difficult time. Call 888-757-1681 or complete our contact form to set up a consultation.

Your Children

• Will the children live with you or your former spouse (i.e., how will you determine physical custody)?
• If the children live with your former spouse, how often do you hope to see them?
• How will you and your ex-spouse make decisions concerning the children’s health care and education?
• Who will pay for the children’s living expenses, medical treatment, education and travel?
• What will be done if the custodial parent remarries and the stepparent wants to adopt the children?

Support Payments

• What about child support and spousal support/alimony? Will you receive it or need to pay it? How much, and for how long?
• Will the spousal support or child support increase or decrease in the future due to changing financial circumstances, economic conditions or other factors?
• Who will be entitled to claim the children as exemptions for income tax purposes? Will the custodial parent always get the exemption, or will it alternate year-to-year?

Your Home

• Who will live in the marital home during the divorce process?
• Will one of the spouses keep the marital home after the divorce, or will it be sold? How will the proceeds be divided?
• If one party keeps the home, will the other party deed its interest to the first party?
• Who will be entitled to deduct the mortgage interest and property taxes for income tax purposes?
• If the parties decide to sell the home, will both spouses be involved in the sale and closing? Who will decide the listing price and whether a real estate broker will sell the home?
• Who will be responsible for major repairs, expenses associated with preparing the home for sale, and closing costs?
• Should the home be sold, which party will be responsible for any income (capital gains) taxes that are imposed as a result of the sale?

Insurance

• Will you keep life insurance for the benefit of your children?
• Will either party be obligated to provide medical or other insurance for the other? For how long?
• Which party will be responsible for ensuring that the children have health insurance?
• Who will be responsible for any medical, dental, vision, prescription or hospital expenses of the children that are not covered or reimbursed by insurance?

Income Taxes

• Who will be entitled to receive any refund from current and past joint income tax returns?
• If there is a deficiency on any current or past joint income tax returns, who will be responsible for the payment?

Speak To A Knowledgeable Divorce Lawyer

This list is not exhaustive, but it provides a snapshot of the issues that are important to consider both before and during a divorce. Consult a family law attorney at Brown Borkowski & Morrow in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to make sure you understand the relevant issues and their legal impact. Call us at 888-757-1681 or contact us online.