Page 38 - Book3E

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If you have been claiming an exemption for your spouse, you must give your employer a new W-4 within ten days of the divorce or legal separation showing the correct number of exemptions.
You may be able to collect retirement benefits on your former spouse’s Social Security record once you reach age 62, if you were married for 10 or more years, and if you are not remarried. Talk with a representative at your Social Security office for information about this possibility.
If your former spouse dies, you can receive widow/widower benefits if the marriage lasted ten years or more. This will not affect benefit rates for other survivors of your spouse. Again, check with your Social Security office about this option.
Pay special attention to the status of your credit accounts when you make the decision to divorce. If you maintain joint accounts during the separation, be sure both parties make regular payments so your credit record doesn’t suffer. Outstanding balances are the responsibility of both parties.
Obtain a copy of your credit report before you divorce so you can resolve, as much as possible, any outstanding debts.
Any assets you brought to the marriage become yours again when you are divorced. If, however, you have put those assets into a joint account of any kind, they may be considered joint property and will be divided according to regulations in the state in which you reside.
Any debt you brought to the marriage, such as student loans, is also yours when you leave. Even if your spouse was helping you with the payments, it will now become your sole responsibility.
Seriously consider selling the house. Retaining the house by one partner is often an emotional decision and usually a mistake. The difficulty of maintaining the home as a single person is often too costly and eventually forces a sale anyway. This can lead to capital gains that could have been avoided if the house
Emotions and Money