Moving Your Family To A New Place

If you have recently separated from or divorced your spouse, it is likely that you have many movable items in your shared home that you or your spouse will want to take with you. Dividing movable assets can be emotionally difficult, especially if your separation is not friendly or is unexpected. Before you hire movers, there are several things that you should do to make your move easier. 

Decide Whether To Move Belongings Before or After the Settlement

You or your spouse may want to move out of the shared family home as soon as you announce your desire to separate. In some cases, divorce proceedings can be long and drawn out, and you or your spouse may want to gather personal belongings and shared movables in order to start a life outside of the family home. In other cases, you may want to wait until a settlement is reached in court to prevent moving items out of the home and then having to return them later. 

If you decide that one of you will move with shared belongings before a final settlement, it is important to talk with your lawyers to decide how to proceed. Generally, you should thoroughly document what is taken out of the shared home and whoever moves out should be prepared to accept the value of these items as part of the final settlement. 

Make a Thorough Picture Inventory 

Creating a picture inventory of items is important before any move. It proves the condition of items before a move as well as their existence if anything happens to them during the move. However, it is even more useful during a divorce. If each of you have a copy of a photo inventory of shared belongings, you can easily assess how you will divide assets. Additionally, you will be able to include items that are in storage or have been moved to a new home. 

Separate Items Into Different Rooms for Easy Estimates and Packing 

If you are hiring movers, you do not want them to accidentally pack items that are meant to stay at the shared home. This can cause issues between you and your ex as well as legal repercussions. For this reason, you and your ex should separate items that are going to be moved into their own rooms. This will allow movers to efficiently pack and remove these items. 

Make Sure Both Parties Are Present During the Move 

To make sure that items are not misplaced during a move, both parties should agree to be present during the move. This allows you both to monitor packing and state any issues immediately. 

Agree On a Course of Action to Settle Disputes 

If you and your ex have a disagreement about what should be moved while your movers are waiting to pack items, it could end up costing you time and money. Additionally, movers may not move items unless both parties agree to their removal in writing. To save yourself a hassle on moving day, you should agree on how you will handle disputes before your movers arrive. You may decide to set disputed items aside and leave them in the shared home until you can come to an agreement or get mediation on the item. Alternatively, you may simply photograph disputed items and make a list of them to deal with at a later date. 

How you handle a move after a separation depends largely on your current relationship with your ex. If you are able to be professional and cordial throughout the process, it will likely happen without many problems. However, if you are in the middle of a heated dispute, it may be better to wait until you have a court settlement and legal advice before you start your move. 

For more information on moving, contact a company like Bekins Van Lines Inc.