PartWise | Common Questions

Common Questions

What you Need to Know

Find answers to specific questions that often come up as you navigate divorce.

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Post Divorce

How do I change my name on my professional licenses and certifications?

Asset Allocation

Post Divorce

Property Division

How do we divided joint credit card debt?

Getting Started

Readiness

What do I do if my spouse and I have very different levels of divorce readiness?

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

How will an attorney communicate with me?

Parenting

How do divorced parents typically handle children’s birthdays?

Parenting

If we agree to change our parenting time schedule, do we have to notify anyone or can we just implement the change ourselves?

Asset Allocation

Post Divorce

Property Division

How do we divide frequent flyer miles or reward points after divorce?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

Can I use my bank appraisal from a mortgage refinance to establish a value of the house for divorce?

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

What is the difference between a solo attorney and an attorney at a firm?

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

What if I don’t have money to pay my attorney?

Post Divorce

How should I handle updating my name with my insurance policies?

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

Can one attorney represent both of us?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

How should I think through property division?

Retirement

Property Division

Post Divorce

Can I cash out retirement once transferred to me from a qualified retirement plan instead of setting up a separate account?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

I didn’t know we incurred debts during the marriage, am I still responsible for them?

Parenting

Can we each have different childcare providers on our separate parenting time?

Parenting

How can I discuss the introduction of my new significant other with my co-parent to ensure transparency and cooperation?

Parenting

In the event of a sick day, what measures can we put in place to ensure our child receives adequate care and attention, considering both parents may have differing work schedules or responsibilities?

Parenting

What tools or platforms can we use to facilitate effective and documented communication about the children’s schedules, health, and educational needs?

Legal

Parenting

How do custody labels impact the way we make decisions about childcare?

Retirement

Property Division

Why do I have to share retirement when I am the one that earned it all?

Legal

Cash Flow

Is spousal support the same as child support?

Post Divorce

What if I encounter resistance or confusion when updating my name with certain institutions?

Retirement

Property Division

Do I have to share my retirement with my spouse if I earned it all myself?

Legal

Cash Flow

Do I have a right to spousal support if my spouse always earned more than me during the marriage, but now I earn more?

Parenting

How can I determine the right time to introduce my children to my new significant other to ensure it is in their best interest?

Parenting

What should we do if one of our extended family members has a history of inappropriate behavior or substance abuse?

Cash Flow

Our current incomes are unusual in light of what we earned over the course of the marriage, does this matter?

Parenting

What do we do if there is an unscheduled no school day, like a snow day?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

Can we split our credit card debts in half?

Parenting

What should we do if our work schedules vary greatly, and we don’t think a regular parenting schedule will work for us?

Process

Cash Flow

If I buy out spousal support in a lump sum and my spouse gets married, can I get some of the lump sum back?

Parenting

What role do family traditions play in maintaining extended family relationships after divorce?

Post Divorce

Property Division

My family wants to gift the children money after the divorce, is that allowed?

Process

Cash Flow

What happens if one party fails to fulfill their obligations under a direct payment agreement?

Parenting

I would like my child to take swimming lessons, I want her to take lessons at the local community center that costs $100 a session and my co-parent wants to go to a private swim school for $500 a session. I cannot afford this – what should we do?

Parenting

What steps can we take if one parent frequently forgets to share important information about the children’s health or educational progress?

Cash Flow

In a cash flow analysis, what if I only work part-time?

Post Divorce

Can I change my name on my child's school records?

Parenting

I lost my job and found a new job out of state, how will my parenting schedule be impacted if I have to move?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

How do I balance the cost of new furniture with the cost of the furniture I am leaving behind in divorce?

Process

Property Division

Do I have to disclose assets to my spouse that are in my name alone?

Legal

Property Division

Is my state an equitable division state?

Process

Parenting

What are the benefits of using a parent coordinator in a high-conflict co-parenting situation?

Property Division

What valuation date should be used for the final property division?

Parenting

What are some ways to ensure that our communication remains respectful and positive, especially when discussing sensitive or contentious issues?

Parenting

What are the benefits and potential drawbacks of jurisdictions that do not use custody labels but instead focus on comprehensive parenting plans?

Healthcare

Parenting

I have always been the primary decision-maker on medical decisions for the kids, does that have to change?

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

How long does an attorney’s representation go on for?

Financial

Cash Flow

How do I calculate my income if I am a stay-at-home parent?

Process

Getting Started

Attorneys

If I don’t have an attorney, do I have to go in front of a judge to obtain a divorce?

Property Division

Post Divorce

How can a quit claim deed affect my financial future if I transfer my interest in the property to my ex-spouse?

Attorney

Cash Flow

Attorneys

Getting Started

Do I have to keep working with my attorney if I don’t like them?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

How do I value accounts that change in value regularly, like bank accounts?

Property Division

Post Divorce

Can we use a private contract (like a property settlement note) to handle the division of real estate equity?

Process

Cash Flow

We have changed our child support agreement informally, do we need to file something with the court?

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

Do attorneys accept credit card payments?

Parenting

What steps can we take to make the introduction of a new significant other as smooth and positive as possible for our children?

Financial

Cash Flow

Property Division

How are cash flow and property division connected?

Parenting

Our 13 year old child has indicated the parenting schedule they would like, should we follow their request?

Budgeting

Cash Flow

How does the standard of living during the marriage impact the cash flow analysis?

Parenting

What should we do if one parent repeatedly fails to support or attend the child's extracurricular activities, causing the child to feel disappointed or unsupported?

Cash Flow

Do only men/husbands that have to pay spousal support?

Cash Flow

How do I account for pre-tax deductions from my income in a cash flow analysis?

Retirement

Post Divorce

Property Division

Can retirement benefits be adjusted after the QDRO is implemented if there are errors or changes?

Budgeting

Cash Flow

Should our budgets moving into separate homes add up to our historical budget in one home?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

What are some potential challenges with dividing employee incentives like stock options and RSUs in divorce?

Cash Flow

Can spousal support be “permanent”?

Retirement

Post Divorce

Property Division

Are there any fees associated with the QDRO process?

Financial

Property Division

How do I know if my spouse’s client list or goodwill has value to be looked at in divorce?

Parenting

If one parent wants the children to participate in a specific religious activity and the other does not, how can this be resolved?

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

Will I lose my retainer if I don’t want to work with my attorney anymore?

Retirement

Property Division

If my spouse has multiple retirement accounts, how are these divided?

Process

Cash Flow

Can a lump sum buyout agreement be modified in the future?

Parenting

What are some tips for minimizing stress for children during transitions between homes and activities?

Retirement

Property Division

Why are retirement accounts different than other assets in divorce?

Property Division

Post Divorce

How does a lien on real estate work in securing a settlement payment for the non-retaining spouse?

Parenting

What if our parenting schedule no longer feels right for the kids?

Parenting

What should I consider about co-parenting when moving to a different state with different custody label practices?

Parenting

What role should a new significant other play in our children's lives, and how can we set appropriate boundaries?

Parenting

My children are not even in school, how can we come up with a parenting plan now for 12 or more years?

Post Divorce

What if my divorce decree does not include a name change provision?

Property Division

What date should I use to value the assets and liabilities in a balance sheet?

Parenting

What are some effective ways to communicate and enforce consequences for major infractions when the children transition between our two homes?

Parenting

Can you provide an example of how parent coordination might work in practice?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

Why is the vesting schedule important when evaluating stock options in divorce?

Property Division

What is dissipation of marital assets in a divorce?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

How is a signing bonus typically treated in a divorce settlement?

Parenting

Should we coordinate gift giving on birthdays and holidays post-divorce?

Asset Allocation

Post Divorce

Property Division

How should we handle jointly owned vehicles in the divorce?

Parenting

How can we manage joint decision-making if one parent is more knowledgeable about a specific area, like a child’s special education needs?

Process

Getting Started

Process & Other Professionals

What is a “kitchen table” divorce?

Parenting

How can we handle transportation logistics if one parent lives significantly farther away from the child’s school or extracurricular activities?

Parenting

How do divorced parents typically handle a parents’ birthday?

Parenting

What happens if a parent falsely claims a safety concern to limit the other parent's time with the children?

Financial

Cash Flow

In a cash flow analysis, what if I don’t earn regular income but am all or mostly paid on commissions?

Asset Allocation

Post Divorce

Property Division

How do we divide investment accounts without triggering taxes or penalties?

Parenting

How can we ensure our children maintain strong relationships with extended family members on both sides after divorce?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

How can an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) impact divorce proceedings?

Cash Flow