{"id":22468,"date":"2025-12-05T11:13:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/budgetadirect.com\/?p=22468"},"modified":"2025-12-05T11:13:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:13:02","slug":"divorce-season-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/budgetadirect.com\/?p=22468","title":{"rendered":"Divorce Season: What to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
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First comes love. Then comes marriage. And for around 670,000 couples per year, then comes divorce.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re thinking about the holiday season that\u2019s off and running, the nation\u2019s divorce attorneys are already looking ahead to another kind of season: divorce season. Sadly, if not surprisingly, filings tend to go up in January after the holidays are done, says Liz Vaz, a divorce attorney and mediator based on Long Island, New York.<\/p>\n

Sure, the holidays arrive each year wrapped in with warmth, wonder and magic. But that magic often comes with a price: heightened stress. What\u2019s meant to be a time of connection with loved ones, in reality, can become an emotional pressure cooker \u2014 one that can get hot enough for a couple to call it quits. \u201cLots of couples start the new year thinking, \u2018I barely survived the holidays with that person,\u2019\u201d says Vaz.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alongside the chaos, the holidays also invite reflection. \u201cThere\u2019s the anticipation or the opportunity for a new beginning, a new start, something different, a transition into a new period of life,\u201d says Julie Brines, associate sociology professor and co-author of a University of Washington divorce study. \u201cThey\u2019re very symbolically charged times.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why am I thinking about divorce right now? I\u2019m a bridesmaid in two weddings next year: maid of honor in one, asked to wear a champagne-colored dress in another. Amid all of the congratulations and scheduling my PTO, I\u2019ve found myself thinking about what marriage truly entails, from its hopeful beginnings to the endings we\u2019d all prefer not to think about.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also not the only one thinking about divorce right now. Searches for \u201cdivorce\u201d rose from Thanksgiving to January and spiked again in April and mid-August \u2014 mirroring historical filing peaks in March and August found in the University of Washington study.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re married, in theory, you\u2019re signing up for a forever companion, someone to stand beside you for the good times and the bad. But marriage doesn\u2019t only merge households; it merges finances. And the personal finance reporter in me can\u2019t help finding that unsettling.<\/p>\n

I genuinely hope all the marriages out there last forever. But statistically, many won\u2019t \u2014 and if you aren\u2019t familiar with ins and outs of divorce, the process can be overwhelming. Even if these tips never apply to you, they could help someone you love. Here\u2019s what you might not know about divorce, but should, according to the experts.<\/p>\n

The costs \u2014\u00a0and the timeline \u2014\u00a0vary widely depending on the couple\u00a0<\/h2>\n

The average cost of a divorce in the U.S. is between $10,000 and $20,000. However, every marriage is unique, and so is every divorce. Vaz has charged between $5,000 and $6,000 for a divorce on the lower end of the spectrum. \u201cBut, when we get forensic accounting involved, that can take the costs up to well over $100,000,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The more there is to divide up \u2014 debts, assets, estate plans, investment accounts, custody time \u2014 the more expensive and drawn out the process will be. The timeline will also vary, but in Vaz\u2019s experience, a few months from end to end is considered speedy. Two to three years is more common for most couples in a cooperative divorce. But if the couple can\u2019t come to an agreement, there\u2019s a possibility of going to trial. In that case, the process slows to a glacial pace. Taking a divorce to trial is a necessary part of the process for some couples, but it can take between three to five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You and your spouse\u2019s financial situation isn\u2019t the only thing that matters in terms of divorce timelines; your state\u2019s laws can significantly influence how long a divorce takes. In Texas, couples must wait at least 60 days from the date of filing before a judge can finalize the divorce. California\u2019s mandated \u201ccooling-off\u201d period is longer, extending to six months. Some states also require spouses to live separately for a set time before filing. Exceptions are often made in cases involving family or spousal violence.<\/p>\n

Each state also has different rules on how marital property gets divided up. Without a prenuptial agreement in place, you default to your state\u2019s rules on how your marital property gets split. If you\u2019re preparing to file, or even just thinking about it, reviewing your state\u2019s divorce requirements can help you understand what to expect and plan accordingly.<\/p>\n

Divorce can lead to worse financial outcomes for women<\/h2>\n

In heterosexual marriages, women tend to initiate more divorces than men. While they might be the ones to start the process, they\u2019re also the ones who usually face a steeper financial fallout.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some harsh truth: Women make less money than men. For every dollar a man makes, a woman earns just 81 cents. Compared to men, women are more likely to fall into poverty after a divorce, a study from the University of Michigan found, largely due to a steeper drop in household income. After a divorce, women\u2019s household income decreases at double the rate of men\u2019s, which the study credits to women having lower personal incomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The stakes are even higher for older women. Women who file for a divorce in their 50s or later \u2014 a phenomenon known as \u201cgray divorce\u201d \u2014 are five times more likely to fall into poverty relative to their female married peers. This study, also from the University of Michigan, found that divorced elderly women don\u2019t experience the same high rates of retirement that married men do at milestone ages of 62 (Social Security eligibility) and 65 (Medicare eligibility). They\u2019re also more reliant on their paychecks to sustain themselves, versus their retirement earnings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No matter how you slice it, the numbers tell a similar story: a divorce doesn\u2019t just break up a household, it can also deepen the financial inequity women already face. For women staring down the barrel of a divorce, whether it was their decision or their spouse\u2019s, the financial aftershock isn\u2019t a temporary setback \u2014 often, it\u2019s a harsh new reality.<\/p>\n

You might need more than a lawyer\u00a0<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s reasonable to assume you need a lawyer for a divorce. But you might need more than just a lawyer. It seems counterintuitive, but more professional support might actually make the process less expensive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Melissa Pavone, a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), encourages folks to consider a three-person team: a lawyer, a CDFA and a mental health specialist. A CDFA is a financial professional with one job \u2014 making sense of the money side of a divorce. They determine the value of the marital property, help clients understand the tax implications and calculate alimony and child support. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to pay your lawyer $750 an hour to read your bank statements when a CDFA can do it better and cheaper,\u201d says Pavone. Vaz is also a fan of CDFAs. \u201cIf you have one on your team, your time, energy and money is going to be much more well spent,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Divorce ranks as the second most stressful event on the Holmes\u2013Rahe Life Stress Inventory \u2014 a psychological scale that measures the impact of major life changes \u2014 outranked only by the death of a spouse. Venting to a $750-per-hour lawyer is an expensive therapy session; during what\u2019s undoubtedly a turbulent time, your mental and financial health can benefit from having a dedicated expert on your side to help you sort through it.<\/p>\n

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A financial professional can help you separate emotions from money, which is essential for long-term stability.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Melissa Pavone<\/cite>
\n CDFA, CFP and founder of Mindful Financial Partners<\/span>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Divorce can be just as much of a financial reckoning as an emotional one. While there\u2019s no one way to make the process fast and stress-free, these three tips might help make the process a little easier.<\/p>\n

Set money aside for ease of access\u00a0<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re married, your finances are comingled with your spouse\u2019s. After you separate, there\u2019s a real possibility of being cut off from shared bank accounts and credit cards. \u201cIf you\u2019ve been thinking about getting divorced for six months or so, start to take money and put it aside in a separate account,\u201d says Vaz. This is especially prescient for women; we\u2019re less likely than men to have grown our emergency savings this year, per Bankrate\u2019s 2025 Annual Emergency Savings Report.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t about hiding money \u2014 it\u2019s about keeping access to it. Setting aside just $10 or $20 a week in your own account can help you build a small safety net and start an exit plan. Any money you move will be properly accounted for and credited to the right person during the divorce process if needed. \u201cIn all my years of litigating, I\u2019ve never once seen a judge say that this is a bad idea,\u201d says Vaz. \u201cIf a judge has to sign a motion because one party has no access to their money, that can clog up the process.\u201d Again, a clogged process will usually be an expensive one.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Consider a postnuptial agreement\u00a0<\/h2>\n

A prenuptial agreement, commonly called a \u201cprenup,\u201d is a legal contract signed before marriage that outlines how a couple\u2019s finances, property and other assets will be divided if they divorce. A postnuptial agreement, or \u201cpostnup,\u201d serves the same purpose, but it\u2019s created and signed after the marriage has already taken place.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vaz says she\u2019s had couples come to her who aren\u2019t necessarily planning to separate or divorce, but want to better understand their financial options. For these couples, a postnuptial agreement can provide clarity and peace of mind \u2014 establishing clear terms in advance, should they ever decide to go their separate ways. When a prenuptial agreement wasn\u2019t put in place before the wedding, a postnup can be a practical next step for protecting both partners\u2019 interests.<\/p>\n

Get organized ahead of time<\/h2>\n

Preparation is key for a faster, smoother divorce. Having bank statements, tax documents, the marriage certificate, birth certificates (if you have kids), Social Security cards, recent pay stubs, mortgage and credit card statements at the ready can help expedite the process. If you\u2019re working with a CDFA, they can let you know exactly what you need to\u00a0<\/p>\n

While it might look like just compressing a ZIP file together, getting all the information together can be emotionally taxing. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of shame in realizing you didn\u2019t know where all your money was going, or that maybe you missed some warning signs along the way,\u201d says Pavone. \u201cA financial ally can help you move past that shame and rebuild from a place of knowledge and control.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vaz agrees: \u201cOpening your eyes a little bit at a time is really the most powerful thing someone can do,\u201d she says. \u201cEspecially women.\u201d<\/p>\n

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