Divorce can be messy, not least from the financial viewpoint. Disentangling your finances from those of your former spouse can be incredibly complicated. If you find yourself in the middle of a divorce, follow these steps to cover your bases and recover your assets.

Community vs. Separate Property

Your first consideration is how your state views property ownership in a marriage. The law guiding how assets will be divided could be community property or separate property.

• Community property includes any possessions gained during the marriage. Both spouses equally own marital assets including property acquired, income earned, and debts accrued while married.
• Separate property allows a spouse to remain in control of their original assets. If you owned property before your marriage or bought assets with an inheritance, for example, you keep ownership of those assets.

Bank Accounts

Most couples have at least one joint bank account, and handling these should be at the top of your list when untangling assets in a divorce. Start by creating a comprehensive list of your accounts. For now, don't worry about whether they are jointly owned. You need to establish a record of every bank account in existence. Then you can proceed with dividing the shared ones.

When you've completed your list, make a note of which are joint accounts. If you and your spouse are still friendly, visit the bank together to close the accounts. It's the quickest way to dissolve the shared account. If you're not on good enough terms for a joint trip to the bank, you probably won’t be able to close the account until the two of you reach a divorce settlement. In the meantime, you'll want to open a new bank account exclusively for yourself, if you don't already have one.

Credit Cards and Loans

Not sure how many cards your soon-to-be-ex has? Maybe even forgotten a few of your own? Obtaining a copy of your credit report will help you identify all the credit cards and loans attached to both spouses.

Read the fine print to determine whether you’re a joint owner or just an authorized user.

Keep in mind that having an independent credit history is of paramount importance, whether you’re married, getting a divorce, or single. Now is the time to apply for a credit card in only your name if you don’t already have one.

As for existing joint credit and loan accounts—for example, credit cards, personal loans, and car loans—you have three choices for handling each one:

1. You can agree to pay them off now.
2. You can agree to pay them off later.
3. You can do nothing.

The most efficient option is to settle the balances immediately and close the accounts as soon as possible. This reduces the risk to your credit score that your ex will forget to pay a bill or go on a spending spree. If you agree to close the accounts now, even if you’re not paying them off in full, you can still lower the risk of impacting your credit. Most credit card companies allow you to close the account to further purchases and pay off the balance over time. Notice the options include the language “agree to.” In a divorce, it isn’t advisable to manage joint assets or accounts on your own. If both parties can’t agree on how to handle the credit cards and loans, you might be stuck with option number three: doing nothing. Note that if you have a credit card in your name but your soon-to-be-ex is an authorized user you don't need their permission to remove them. It's also wise to remove yourself as an authorized user on any of their credit cards.

Investment and Retirement Accounts

Clarifying the division of investments isn’t as straightforward as credit cards and bank accounts. Knowing the exact details of each account is crucial before agreeing on how to allocate the funds.

For instance, the actual value could vary from the perceived value because investments often carry different levels of risk or have specific taxes and fees that apply. And there’s risk tolerance to consider, too. If you’re more conservative, it can make sense to let your spouse keep the riskier investments.

Sometimes liquidation is the best option. Because transfer and withdrawal fees can be costly, be mindful of the charges that apply before you go this route. If you determine this is the best option, many experts recommend selling the investments first to share the tax burden of capital gains.

The division of retirement assets involves specific requirements depending on the type of account. Most plans and accounts have rules that must be followed when dividing retirement assets in a divorce. For example, a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) is a court order used to divide specific types of retirement plans, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans. 

Your Home

If you and your soon-to-be-ex own a home, your bank will not allow you to remove one spouse from the mortgage just because you’re getting a divorce. To get the home in your name only, the process requires you to refinance it. And qualifying on your own for the loan can be tough if you are a nonworking spouse.

If you cannot be approved in just your name, the most viable option might be selling the home and dividing the proceeds. Alternatively, you could leave both names on the house, though it’s a much more complicated solution that requires a co-ownership agreement as part of the divorce. If you're not on great terms, you may not want to continue carrying an enormous financial burden with your ex.

Seek Professional Help

At a time when your mind and emotions are likely a mess, don't take any risks with your finances. Be wary of well-meaning advice from friends and co-workers, and consult with professionals—such as an attorney and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA)—on the proper way to disentangle your bank, investment, and credit accounts, as well as any other shared property you'll now need to divide.

This is a crucial time to rely on professionals to make sure you've checked every box, found every account, and fully protected yourself from financial damage.

The Bottom Line

If you're getting a divorce, both you and your soon-to-be-ex spouse need to move on. Re-establishing your financial status as a single person is important to both of you. Take care of the red tape now to avoid financial trouble down the road.