Everyone knows divorces can get pretty expensive.  A department store has come up with a solution to help newly divorced people get back on their feet – a divorce registry.  The department store has figured out that with people basically losing half of their belongings in a divorce, family and friends may want to purchase them a gift, much as they do for a wedding, so that items such as irons, toasters and the like may be replenished.  I’m not sure how successful this will be, but it definitely draws attention to the impact a divorce has on items that are often overlooked.

When a couple divorces in Mississippi, all marital property must be divided.  For ease of reference, marital property is essentially all items purchased or accumulated during the marriage by either party, although there are exceptions.  While most people focus on the larger items like vehicles, televisions and furniture, households are filled with all sorts of items that must also be divided.  A person may not realize until after a separation, how much replacement of household items costs.  These are costs that are in addition to attorneys fees and income lost from the other spouse. 

When separating, it is advisable for both spouses, assuming they can agree, to go through the marital residence together and divide all the items room by room.  A list can be created at the same time so each will have a record.  Although a person often is anxious to move on and only focuses on the big items, spending a little time on the little things will save you a lot of money down the road.