When you receive your divorce decree, it’s natural to feel a sense of relief — but there are still a few steps you must take before you can truly move on with your life after the dissolution of marriage.

The first step is to make sure you thoroughly review all of the contents of the decree. A surprising number of people skip this step because they assume they know what’s in the decree based on all of the court hearings or mediation sessions they attended. However, reading the document reinforces your knowledge of its contents and also gives you the opportunity to make sure there are no mistakes. If you do come across any errors, your lawyer will help you make sure they get corrected.

What you need to do

As you read through your decree, create a list of all your obligations as well as your former spouse’s, including deadlines by which you need to address them.

Your next step is to follow through on those obligations. These tasks could include items line removing your spouse’s name from a home loan, for example. If you fail to perform your required tasks in a timely manner, you may end up in violation of your divorce agreement.

After you have completed your court-mandated tasks, you will want to update all of your important documents that also contain the name of your spouse. These documents likely include your will, power of attorney, insurance policies, retirement accounts, bank accounts, credit card accounts, loans, tax withholdings and emergency contact information.

Finally, be sure to take some time to yourself to relax and recharge. You should be mindful of your children’s feelings as well, as they have also recently gone through a rough time. Spend extra time with them whenever possible.

For more information on the steps to take to truly finalize your divorce, speak with a trusted La Plata family law attorney at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.