There are also some issues that may not be well known. Foss says she has had women clients who are contemplating divorce who are just shy of the 10-year mark of their marriage.
“I advise them to stick it out for another six months, or whatever the time frame is, if they can, because they can then collect Social Security benefits on their husband’s earnings record for the rest of their lives,” she said.
Thompson advises women to be involved in the finances of their family even if the husband handles the details. One of her clients spent two years gathering information and then brought her a big binder with all of the details to help in the divorce proceedings.
“Knowledge is the key, both going into a marriage and afterwards. A willingness of both parties to talk about finances in the beginning is a good indicator of their communication skills,” she adds.