同林鸟离婚前需考虑的六个财务问题

Now that the vacation suitcases are put away and the children are back in school, it may be time to start planning for something that you may have been putting off-a divorce.
既然旅行箱已经放好，孩子们也重返学校了，或许是时候开始准备一下你一直在推后的离婚计划了。
Divorce is a huge step and not one to be taken lightly due in part to its enormous emotional and financial ramifications. But as the economy continues to improve, more couples who have postponed their divorces are likely to pursue them.
离婚是一件大事，由于其会对情感以及财务状况产生巨大的影响，因此不可草率行事。但随着经济继续好转，许多曾推迟了离婚计划的夫妇可能会将该计划付诸行动了。

National U.S. divorce statics are pretty lousy. There is no reliable central database and some states, most notably California, don't even count the number of divorces annually.
美国的离婚统计工作做得相当糟糕，没有可以信赖的中央数据库，一些州、最明显的是加利福尼亚州甚至不统计年度离婚数据。

That said, the reported number of divorces runs at about 40% of marriages. In 2011, for instance, there were 877,000 divorces and 2.1 million marriages, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
但据称离婚数量已经相当于结婚数量的大约40%。例如，据全美健康统计中心(National Center for Health Statistics)数据，2011年有210万对新人结婚，但有877,000对夫妇离婚。
Whether it's the seven-year itch or you're just plain unhappy and you feel it's time to make a change, there a few things you need to consider before you file.
无论是因为七年之痒，还是仅仅因为你过得不开心，你觉得是时候做出点改变了。但在提交离婚申请之前你需要考虑好以下问题。

1. Know What You Own and Make Copies.
1. 了解你拥有什么并且备份
Gather as much information as possible, as early as possible, regarding your family's finances, says Solon Vlasto, a financial planner in McLean, Va. 'As a divorce progresses, documentation becomes more difficult to locate,' he says.
弗吉尼亚州麦克莱恩的理财规划师Solon Vlasto说，尽早、尽可能多的收集有关家庭财务方面的信息。他说，随着离婚过程的推进，文件会越来越难找。

Begin by making a list of assets, debts and sources of income. Try to obtain at least three years of tax returns. Gather employee and retirement-benefit information and insurance documents. Make copies of everything.
从列出一张资产、负债以及收入来源的单子开始。收集至少过去三年的纳税申报单。获取雇佣和退休福利信息及保险文件。所有的信息备份。
Start tracking expenses, if you haven't already. The more information you collect, the better. There will be a point in the divorce where you'll have to review your cost of living, Mr. Vlasto says.
开始追踪支出情况，如果你之前没有的话。收集的信息越多越好。Vlasto说，在办理离婚的过程中，你还需要评估生活成本。

Create a record of all valuables such as jewelry, art and collectibles, says Nicole Feuer, a divorce mediator in Westport, Conn. 'Take photos, as sometimes these items can 'disappear' in a divorce,' she says.
康涅狄格州Westport的离婚调解员Nicole Feuer说，要有一份珠宝、艺术品和收藏品等所有贵重物品的记录。拍下照片，因为有的时候在办理离婚的过程中这些物品可能会“不翼而飞”。James Gambaccini, a financial planner in Fairfax, Va., says you should sign up for electronic statements for all of your individual accounts so that your spouse can no longer see these by opening the mail. Also, be sure to change your individual account passwords so that your spouse isn't tempted to log in to your accounts, he says.
弗吉尼亚州Fairfax的理财规划师James Gambaccini说，所有的个人账户都应该申请电子账单，否则你的配偶拆开信封就可以看到这些信息。此外还要修改个人账户密码，以防你的配偶忍不住去登陆你的账户。
Don't hide money, though, says Lili Vasileff, a collaborative-divorce practitioner in Greenwich, Conn. 'It gives rise to dishonesty and fraud and it will be discovered in divorce,' she says.
不过协议离婚执业律师Lili Vasileff说，不要藏钱，因为这可能会导致不诚实和欺诈，在离婚的过程中会被发现。
If you have reasonable grounds for concern, seek legal advice for how to preserve your financial assets before filing for divorce, she says.
她说，如果你有担忧的合理依据，寻求法律帮助，了解在申请离婚前如何保护你的资产。

2. Save and Budget.
2. 节省和筹划
One of the most overlooked aspects of divorce is budgeting for it, says Ms. Vasileff.
Vasileff说，离婚最容易被人忽视的一方面是为此制作预算。
'Decide how much you will budget and which accounts will be used to pay for your divorce expenses,' she says. Try to avoid tapping into the 'wrong' accounts to pay for it. Taking money out of an individual retirement account, for example, may cost a penalty and taxes, she says.
她说，确定你的预算规模，以及用哪些账户来支付离婚的开销。尽量避免动用“错误的”账户来支付。她说，例如使用个人退休账户中的资金可能被课以罚款和税金。You'll need liquid funds for legal costs and possibly for a separate living arrangement, and money for daily expenses. You should have at least three months' expenses plus several thousand more saved for your attorney's retainer, she says.
你需要留出流动资金用于法律方面的费用，可能需要的另觅住处相关的支出，以及日常开销。她说，你应当留好至少三个月的开销，再加上额外的几千美元以备请律师的预付开支。

'Keep this cash in separately titled checking accounts, money-market savings and short-term CDs rather than any long-term investments,' she says.
她说，将这笔现金放在单独的活期账户、货币市场储蓄账户以及短期存单中，而不要进行任何长期投资。
You'll also need to create a budget to support your likely scaled-down lifestyle. Most people grossly underestimate how much they spend, says Molly Goetz, a financial adviser in Towson, Md.
你还需要制作预算以支持可能需要比以前俭省的生活方式。马里兰州陶森市金融顾问Molly Goetz说，大多数人都极大地低估了自己的开支。
After the divorce, you may end up with half of your previous assets but be spending the same amount as before, she says. 'Start thinking about the life you want to lead post-divorce and determine what steps you might need to take to achieve that,' Ms. Goetz says.
她说，离婚后，你的资产可能只是以前的一半，但开支却还是一样。Goetz说，要开始设想你希望离婚后过什么样的生活，并确定要怎样做才能实现。

3. Watch and Establish Credit.

3. 留心信用情况并建立信用
Get an individual credit card if you don't have one already, and consider freezing joint credit cards.
如果你还没有个人信用卡，那么现在就去办一张，并考虑冻结联合信用卡。

Obtain a credit report for yourself, says Anthony Ogorek, a financial planner in Williamsville, N.Y. A credit report will detail balances outstanding as well as open and closed lines of credit.

纽约州威廉斯维尔(Williamsville)的理财规划师Anthony Ogorek建议，为你自己准备一份信用报告。信用报告将列出你未清账款的细节情况以及开放式、封闭式信用额度。
'This can be critical in the event a spouse tries to retaliate by running up credit balances,' he says.
他说，如果配偶企图通过刷爆信用卡来报复你，那么这一步就显得至关重要。
It can also determine if your spouse has opened accounts you are unaware of, says Bonnie Sewell, a financial planner in Leesburg, Va. You can obtain a copy of your report free at .

弗吉尼亚州利斯堡(Leesburg)理财规划师Bonnie Sewell称，如果你的配偶开设了你不知道的账户，那你可以在这个网站免费获得信用报告的副本。

4. Watch the Timing.
4. 留意时间
Mr. Gambaccini suggests looking to file your divorce in a year when you're earning less money-for example, when you get no bonus or there is a big decline in the value of your investments. While a court will typically look at income over many years, having a recent decrease in earnings may lower future payments, such as alimony, he says.
Gambaccini建议说，尽量选择在你收入较少的那一年递交离婚申请，例如某年你拿不到公司红利，或你投资的资产价值大幅缩水。他指出，虽然法院通常会参考多年的收入，但如果你近期的个人收入锐减，未来支付的费用（例如赡养费）就可能减少。

During the Great Recession, several of Mr. Gambaccini's clients suffered income declines. 'They saw this as a way to get out of a bad marriage at a discount,' he says.
在金融危机期间，Gambaccini的若干名客户都经历了钱包缩水的痛苦。不过他表示，这些客户将此视为以较低代价摆脱一段糟糕婚姻的契机。

6. Look into Alternatives.
6. 寻求备选方案
Explore various options for divorce resolution, Mr. Vlasto says. 'Litigation isn't the only option,' he says. 'It's expensive and you have the least amount of control.'
Vlasto说，你可以考虑各种离婚方案。他表示，诉讼并不是唯一的选择，一来费用昂贵，二来你对结果的掌控最少。

Consider other methods of getting help during your divorce, such as mediation, arbitration and collaborative divorce, depending on your situation.
根据自身的情况，你可以在离婚时考虑使用其他方法，比如离婚调解、申请仲裁和协议离婚。

5. Consider Selling the Family Home.

5. 考虑卖掉共同房产
It can be a mistake to try to keep the marital home, says Mr. Vlasto. While there's often a strong desire to keep it, especially when children are involved, a home is an expensive asset to maintain, he says.
Vlasto说，保留夫妻共同房产可能是个错误。他表示，虽然人们往往很想保留房产，特别是在有孩子的情况下，但是房产是一项维护费用昂贵的资产。Maintenance, taxes, homeowners-association fees and insurance all add up quickly.
维护费、税、业主协会费和保险费加起来可不是一笔小数目。
'All expenses need to be considered,' he says.
他说，所有的费用都需要考虑进去。
Consider whether you'll realistically be able to afford the home post-divorce, especially if your ex-spouse died, became disabled, lost a job or couldn't make alimony payments.

考虑一下 离婚后是否确实能够供养房产，尤其如果发生以下情况：你的前配偶死亡、成为残疾人、失业等导致无法支付赡养费。