Before You File

Credit Protection Guide

Steps to protect your credit score before, during, and after a Utah divorce — including how to separate joint accounts the right way.

Before Filing
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Pull your free credit reports — all 3 bureaus
Visit annualcreditreport.com for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — you get one free per year each
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Note all joint accounts
List every joint credit card, auto loan, mortgage, and HELOC — you're legally liable for all of them
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Check for any accounts you didn't know about
Look for unfamiliar creditors or accounts opened without your knowledge — flag anything suspicious
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Note your credit score starting point
Screenshot or write down your current score — gives you a baseline to protect and measure against
During Divorce
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Do NOT close credit cards to "spite" your spouse
Closing cards reduces available credit and hurts your score — instead remove yourself as an authorized user or request the card be frozen
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Keep the joint mortgage current
Both parties are legally responsible for the mortgage regardless of who lives in the home — a missed payment hurts both credit scores
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Get your own credit card NOW
Apply while your income is still reportable as household income — it's harder to qualify post-divorce on a single income
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Monitor your credit monthly during proceedings
Use Credit Karma or your bank's free credit monitoring — watch for new accounts or missed payments
Separating Joint Accounts
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Credit cards: pay off and close, or transfer balances
The cleanest option is to pay off the balance and close jointly — or transfer to individual accounts per the decree
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Joint bank accounts: open your own account immediately
Don't drain the joint account without an agreement — courts frown on this — but do open your own account right away and redirect your income there
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Mortgage: whoever keeps the house must refinance
Lenders require a refinance to remove a spouse from the mortgage — a decree alone does not release you from liability
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Auto loans: transfer title AND loan to one party
Both the title and the loan must be transferred — one without the other leaves you exposed
Important
A divorce decree does not eliminate your joint liability to a creditor. If your ex is ordered to pay a joint debt and doesn't, the creditor can still come after you. The only way to fully remove your name is to refinance, transfer, or close the account directly with the lender.
After Divorce
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Get all joint accounts officially closed per decree
Follow up with every creditor to confirm accounts are closed or transferred — don't assume the decree handles it
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Update beneficiaries on all accounts
Life insurance, retirement accounts, bank accounts — beneficiary designations override your will
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Monitor for any accounts your ex opens in your name
Set up a fraud alert with all 3 bureaus or consider a credit freeze if the relationship is adversarial
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Dispute any errors with each bureau
File disputes at equifax.com, experian.com, and transunion.com — bureaus have 30 days to investigate
Save your results
Protecting your financial future starts now.
divvi helps you organize your divorce so nothing falls through the cracks — including your credit.
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