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

Property Division

Are our wedding rings marital or joint assets?

Parenting

How can we set up a communication system that minimizes misunderstandings and ensures both parents are always informed about the children’s activities and well-being?

Legal

Property Division

Do I have to share my inheritance?

Property Division

What is dissipation of marital assets in a divorce?

Financial

Cash Flow

I want to retire but have a spousal support obligation, what should I do?

Cash Flow

Are there cost of living increases to spousal support?

Post Divorce

Property Division

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

Parenting

Is Winter Break or Spring Break treated as holidays or a no-school days for purposes of the parenting plan?

Financial

Property Division

Why can’t we both have our names on the 529 plans?

Parenting

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

Cash Flow

How do I calculate medical, dental and insurance premiums for the kids?

Post Divorce

Cash Flow

How do I modify child support or spousal support after divorce?

Parenting

How do divorced parents typically handle a parents’ birthday?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

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

Parenting

If our child's extracurricular activities require frequent travel or overnight stays, how should we coordinate these plans to ensure both parents are comfortable and involved?

Financial

Cash Flow

How are direct payment arrangements established in a divorce?

Parenting

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

Cash Flow

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

Budgeting

Cash Flow

We lived in a $500,000 house during our marriage, do I have a right to another house of that same price moving forward?

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?

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?

Post Divorce

Is mediation required for post-decree disputes?

Retirement

Property Division

Why are retirement accounts different than other assets in divorce?

Financial

Property Division

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

Process

Getting Started

Process & Other Professionals

Can a mediator provide legal advice?

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?

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?

Parenting

How do divorced parents typically handle children’s birthdays?

Parenting

What should we do if one parent’s work schedule frequently conflicts with attending important school or medical appointments?

Property Division

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

Financial

Cash Flow

I earn more than my spouse, can I request spousal support?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

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

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

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

Professionals

Process & Other Professionals

Getting Started

Do I need non-lawyer professionals for my divorce?

Parenting

My family doesn’t live in my state, now that I am divorced, can I move with my children to be close to my family?

Post Divorce

Property Division

Can I start my own accounts for the benefit of the children after the divorce?

Parenting

How should I address concerns about substance use during my co-parent's parenting time?

Process

Parenting

My state doesn’t use the term “visitation” – so what is it called when my ex has time with the children?

Legal

Property Division

Is my state an equitable division state?

Post Divorce

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

Retirement

Post Divorce

Property Division

How does the timing of the QDRO submission affect retirement asset division?

Parenting

What are some effective ways to maintain the non-relocating parent's involvement in the children’s lives after a move?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

How is a whole or universal life insurance policy addressed in divorce?

Getting Started

Readiness

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

Retirement

Post Divorce

Property Division

Are there any fees associated with the QDRO process?

Asset Allocation

Post Divorce

Property Division

How do we divided joint credit card debt?

Financial

Cash Flow

What are some potential risks or downsides of accepting a lump sum buyout?

Parenting

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

Retirement

Property Division

What about a loan against my retirement?

Financial

Cash Flow

Are there cost of living increases to child support?

Process

Cash Flow

How can disputes over direct expenses be resolved in a divorce?

Cash Flow

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

Financial

Property Division

What are the most common outcomes for a division of personal property (our "stuff") in divorce?

Property Division

Process & Other Professionals

Property Division

Post Divorce

What happens if I can’t refinance the mortgage like the decree says I should?

Process

Cash Flow

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

Parenting

My co-parent is taking the children out of town for a week on an agreed-upon vacation, should we make up my missed time when they return?

Parenting

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

Process

Getting Started

Process & Other Professionals

What is a “kitchen table” divorce?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

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

Parenting

What are some best practices for keeping each other informed about schedules, costs, and commitments related to our children's extracurricular activities?

Financial

Cash Flow

Instead of paying spousal maintenance, can I make my ex-spouse’s house payment?

Post Divorce

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

Parenting

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

Property Division

Process & Other Professionals

What kind of language should be in the decree regarding the house or mortgage?

Parenting

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

Attorney

Getting Started

Attorneys

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

Asset Allocation

Property Division

What are options for dividing/sharing equity in bank accounts?

Parenting

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

Property Division

Post Divorce

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

Legal

Property Division

We never combined any of our assets, do we still have to share them in divorce?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

How is my disability insurance policy addressed in divorce?

Cash Flow

What if my bonus isn’t guaranteed - will it affect cash flow?

Parenting

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

Asset Allocation

Property Division

Can we split our credit card debts in half?

Legal

Cash Flow

My ex just took a new job and makes substantially more money than when we were divorced, do I have a right to more in spousal support?

Asset Allocation

Post Divorce

Property Division

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

Parenting

Cash Flow

What role does communication play in the successful implementation of different methods for sharing children's expenses after divorce?

Parenting

We have a week on/week off parenting schedule, but it’s too long to be away – is there anything I can do?

Asset Allocation

Property Division

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

Parenting

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

Financial

Cash Flow

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

Professionals

Process & Other Professionals

Getting Started

Who pays for non-lawyer divorce professionals?

Legal

Parenting

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

Financial

Cash Flow

How can direct payment arrangements affect taxes in a divorce?

Retirement

Property Division

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

Post Divorce

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

Parenting

What should we do if we disagree on a specific medical treatment or intervention for our child?

Financial

Cash Flow

What if we disagree on an extracurricular expense for the children?

Getting Started

Process & Other Professionals

How do I find a mediator?

Parenting

What are some effective strategies for ensuring timely and consistent sharing of important information about our children’s school and medical updates?

Financial

Cash Flow

Are property division and cash flow the same thing?

Parenting

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

Financial

Property Division

What is the difference between a credit score and a credit report?

Property Division

Post Divorce

Are there tax implications to consider when transferring real estate post-divorce?

Parenting

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

Parenting

How do I handle concerns about unsafe guests or influences at the other parent's home?

Parenting

We don’t have travel or vacation time built into our parenting plan, can I plan a vacation with the children?

Post Divorce

What is a post decree dispute and why do they happen?

Cash Flow