When you decide that your marriage is over, you need to make plans. It usually isn’t a good idea to just walk away with the clothes on your back. Of course, if you are the victim of abuse, that might be just what you have to do.
Ideally, you will have time to plan ahead so that you can make sure everything is in order for you to be able to stand on your own when you leave your husband. Here are some of the things that you need to think about before you walk away.
Think about the money
You need money to survive. Unless you have people who are going to let you live with them, you need to make sure that you have somewhere to go. This means that you need money for rent. You also need money for food and other necessities. If you are starting over from scratch, you will need to have money to get things like kitchen supplies, furniture, bedding, towels and other items. You must not think that you will be able to get money from the joint accounts. You need your own money.
Make plans for transportation
You will need a way to get to work and to run errands. This is easy if you live within a short distance of public transportation or in an area where you can use a ride-sharing service. It is a bit more difficult if you live away from these possibilities. Make sure that you take the time to find out how you are going to handle these aspects of life. Another thing that you need to think about here is the cost of keeping transportation available. If you have a vehicle, you need to be able to make the payments. You also have to be able to pay for maintenance, insurance and gas.
Find out what will happen with the children
If you and your husband have children together, you will need to come up with a plan for the children. If you are planning on letting them come with you, you will need to remain in the school district. You also have to think about how your husband will react to your taking the children. Ultimately, you must ensure that you are only doing things that are legal. With this in mind, you should find out what legal obligations you have regarding the children. Do this before you take any steps to get out of the marriage, unless you are leaving because you or your children are in danger of being harmed by your husband.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001