In most cases, people anticipate a
divorce before it happens. While some actions taken before a divorce
can receive an adverse reaction from a spouse, creating an inventory
should not. Creating an inventory can be helpful in case you suffer
an insurance loss such as fire, theft, or flood. An inventory can
also be helpful in a divorce.
In a divorce the two spouses will have
to divide the household belongings. Sometimes this occurs leisurely
and sometimes in a rush. An inventory will make a split easier. If
a court issues an order removing one party from the house having an
inventory will make it easier for that person to receive a fair distribution of the household assets. If you are dividing items from
memory you are likely to forget items that you care about.
Another benefit of having a household
inventory is to reduce the potential for items to disappear. After a
person who is out of the house takes their initial list of items it
is much more difficult to obtain items from the house. That book
that you received from your grandmother is likely to be thrown out if
you don't retrieve it in the initial group of items. With digital photography you can incorporate photographs into your inventory. By having a
list you can designate items to retrieve later and avoid having them
thrown out or sold.
The earlier you start the inventory the
better off you are. It is also helpful to consult an experienceddivorce lawyer as early as possible. Both an inventory and a divorce
lawyer can help you work through the difficult times created by a
divorce.
