- 1). Open a bank account in your name. You will need a safe place to put the money when you leave. This should be done quietly to avoid any unpleasant fights with your spouse. Get a credit card in your name to establish credit on your own as well.
- 2). Make copies of all of your and your spouse's savings account statements and other financial documents. These documents may become important in the divorce proceedings to prove the amount and locations of money. Include stocks, real estate, checking account statements and other investment statements.
- 3). Write out a post-leaving budget. The budget should detail how much money you will need to live after you leave. Consider not including alimony or child support as forms of income on your budget. You will have a lag between when those payments start and when you leave, if your spouse pays them at all.
- 4). Withdraw money from your joint savings account right before you leave and deposit it in your bank account. It is better to start saving some money on your own first, without taking money from the joint account. You will have to come clean about any money you withdrew from joint accounts during divorce proceedings.