Dealing With Stimulus Checks in Your Divorce

Another round of stimulus checks recently went out to Americans. The most recent round of checks was $1400 for adults and dependents alike.

If you are in the process of going through a divorce, you might wonder how those stimulus checks are to be handled. Here’s an overview of what you should know.

Dealing with the stimulus in your divorce

You and your spouse should hopefully be able to figure out the stimulus situation without having to involve the courts. Technically, you should each be getting a $1400 payment. It might come as a lump sum to a joint bank account or to one of your bank accounts, but hopefully the two of you would be mature enough and communicative enough to divide that lump sum to make sure you each get the money you’re owed. Otherwise, you may need to seek dispute resolution methods, up to litigation. Be aware that the cost to litigate such an issue would likely exceed the amount of money disputed—it’s in your interest to just cooperate with each other.

If you got stimulus money for children, you should consult your divorce decree, which will have information about who claims which child on their taxes. The parent who claims each child would get the stimulus money associated with that child. In many cases one parent will claim all the children on their tax return, but again, this could vary based on the terms of your divorce, so make sure you read those terms carefully.

Here again, you may need to seek methods of dispute resolution if one spouse isn’t willing to play ball here, and once again, the cost to litigate will likely exceed the amount of money you stand to gain, so it’s in both of your interests to behave maturely and split the stimulus money yourselves.

For more information about handling stimulus checks in your divorce, contact a reliable Nassau County divorce lawyer at Solutions Divorce Mediation.