Divorce & Identity Theft Concerns

Divorce is challenging in more way than one. It can bring a lot of issues and many hurdles you need to jump over, things like paying bills, child care and more. And even worse, some people involved in divorce can fall victim to identity theft. Make sure to take the right steps to protect yourself and your identity when going through a divorce.

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Prevention

Before you can become a victim to identify theft, take the steps to prevent this from happening. First, run a credit report. This will give you the big picture regarding all your financial accounts. Pay special close attention to any joint accounts or accounts where your ex-spouse is an authorized user. Speaking of that, you should remove your ex-spouse as an authorized user on all accounts. Also, consider closing off any joint accounts, but you might need to wait until your settlement in court takes place. Remember to always put your wishes in writing regarding your finances and how joint accounts will be handled and always discuss these things with your divorce lawyer.

Indemnification

An indemnification or also known as a hold harmless agreement is a good idea and is usually advised. This gives you protection if your ex-spouse doesn’t pay on the debt that they are responsible for, then you have the ability to sue them for any damages caused.

Divorce

Many can be bitter when going through a divorce and even try to intentionally hurt an ex. They could use your money, accounts and personal information like date of birth, mother’s maiden name and social security number to cause damage. It is best to try and have a clean divorce to prevent any hostility. And it is also a good idea to separate all accounts, debts and assets quickly to avoid any of these issues regarding identity