Last Updated on December 29, 2025
The house gets quiet after the Final Decree is signed. Not peaceful. Just quiet. The court dates are over, but the mental checklist grows louder instead of fading away. Accounts, insurance, parenting schedules, and documents all start competing for attention at the same time.
For many people in Roanoke, this stage feels heavier than the divorce itself. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Virginia’s divorce rate remains slightly higher than the national average, at approximately 7.9 divorces per 1,000 women.
Yet post-decree disputes remain common. Most of them start with unfinished details that seemed harmless at the time.
At Slovensky Law, we have spent many years working inside the Roanoke City Circuit Court and the Roanoke County Circuit Court. We see how often people return to court not because they want to, but because something critical was left undone. The divorce ended, but the system stayed open.
This guide lays out a structured post-divorce checklist built around current Virginia law, including the July 1, 2025, updates, and what to do after divorce in Virginia.
1. Immediate Priority – The 14-Day Safety Sweep
Securing Your Autonomy in the First Two Weeks
The first two weeks after divorce are about control. This is the window where old permissions and shared access create the most risk. Once time passes, problems become harder to unwind.
Revoking Powers of Attorney and Medical Proxies
Virginia law now resolves much of this issue automatically, but that does not mean it can be ignored.
Financial Powers of Attorney.Under Virginia Code § 64.2-1608(B)(3), a spouse’s authority under a financial Power of Attorney is automatically revoked the moment a divorce, annulment, or legal separation is filed. You do not need to wait for the final decree. Once the case is on file, that authority ends by operation of law.
Medical Proxies and Advance Directives.As of July 1, 2024, Virginia closed a long-standing gap in medical decision-making authority. Under Virginia Code § 54.1-2985(A1), a spouse’s authority to act as a health care agent is also automatically revoked when a divorce or annulment is filed. The same rule applies when custody or visitation litigation begins between the parties.
On paper, these revocations happen automatically. In real life, problems still surface when third parties are unaware a case has been filed. Hospitals, banks, and financial institutions are often protected when they rely in good faith on documents that appear valid on their face.
That is why this step still belongs on a post-divorce checklist. Proactively notifying doctors, banks, and financial institutions closes the gap between what the law says and what institutions actually know. It prevents confusion during emergencies and ensures decisions stay where they belong, with you.
2. The Digital Divorce
Digital access now carries the same weight as physical paperwork. In our work, we see post-divorce privacy issues surface repeatedly because of shared Apple IDs, cloud storage, streaming services, and two-factor authentication numbers that were never separated.
These connections often stay invisible until something breaks. A password reset alert goes to the wrong phone. Location data stays shared. Private photos or financial information remain accessible long after the divorce feels finished.
When a former spouse controls a verification number or shared login, proving misuse later is difficult. Once data is changed or deleted, courts have limited tools to untangle what happened. Prevention here matters far more than enforcement.
Closing digital access early creates a clean separation. It protects your privacy before conflict has a chance to resurface and removes one of the most common sources of post-divorce disputes we see.
3. Retitling Property After Divorce
The Asset Transition: Moving from Joint to Separate
Divorce changes ownership, but not always the paperwork behind it, which makes this a critical item on a post-divorce checklist. Under Virginia law, property held jointly during the marriage is addressed in the divorce decree, but recorded titles do not automatically update when the decree is entered.
This gap becomes a problem during refinancing or sale. Lenders and buyers rely on recorded documents, not divorce orders. If the title does not reflect the decree, transactions can stall at the worst possible time.
In many cases, a quitclaim deed is used to bring the public record into alignment with the divorce judgment. In other situations, a different form of conveyance or additional documentation may be required, depending on how the property is titled and what the decree specifically orders. This is why title transfers after divorce are never one-size-fits-all.
The same issue appears with motor vehicle titles. In Roanoke, removing a former spouse from a vehicle title requires following the DMV’s transfer process exactly, regardless of what the decree says.
This is also where many people ask what to do after a divorce with joint bank accounts. Closing or retitling accounts prevents financial overlap that quietly fuels future disputes and keeps financial separation clean.
4. Why Beneficiary Forms Still Matter After Divorce
When Designations Do Not Update Themselves
Virginia law revokes a former spouse as a beneficiary on many life insurance policies after divorce. Many people assume this rule applies everywhere. It does not.
Federal retirement plans follow federal rules. ERISA-governed 401(k)s and TSP accounts ignore state revocation laws unless beneficiary forms are updated manually. This gap catches people off guard.
For Roanoke residents working in federal or postal roles, this is a common and costly oversight. If the form is not changed, benefits can still flow to an ex-spouse years later. Courts cannot override federal plan rules after the fact.
Updating beneficiaries is not emotional housekeeping. It is risk control. Protection only works when the paperwork matches the law.
5. Retirement Accounts and the QDRO Countdown
Why Waiting Puts Your Share at Risk
When your divorce decree divides a retirement account, the money does not move yet. The court order alone does not change ownership inside the plan. A separate document, called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order or QDRO, is required before anything happens. Until that step is complete, the account still sits entirely in your former spouse’s name.
This requirement exists because retirement plans follow federal rules, not divorce judgments. Plan administrators cannot act unless the QDRO is reviewed and formally accepted. That gap between the decree and the QDRO is where problems surface most often.
For you, the risk is real and time-sensitive. If your ex retires, borrows against the account, or dies before the QDRO is finalized, your share can be delayed or lost entirely. Judges see this outcome far more often than people expect, and fixing it later is rarely possible.
This is why the QDRO cannot sit on your post-divorce checklist for too long. Treating it as urgent protects what the court already awarded to you. It also removes the uncertainty that lingers long after the divorce feels finished.
6. Health Insurance After Divorce
The 60-Day Coverage Window
If your health insurance was tied to your former spouse, divorce opens a narrow window to secure new coverage. Virginia treats divorce as a qualifying life event, which gives you sixty days to enroll in a new plan. That window closes quickly, whether you feel ready or not.
This rule exists to prevent long gaps in coverage, not to create pressure. The problem is that the timeline often feels disconnected from the divorce itself. In many cases, the clock starts when employer coverage ends, not when the decree is signed.
In real life, the issue appears months later. A doctor’s visit is denied. A prescription is no longer covered. By the time you realize what happened, the enrollment window has already closed, and costs increase.
Addressing insurance early keeps health decisions from turning into emergencies. It gives you space to choose coverage thoughtfully instead of reacting under stress.
7. When Child Support Needs to Be Revisited
How Current Law Affects Existing Orders
Many parents assume their child support order only changes if something goes wrong. A job loss. A dispute. A return to court they were hoping to avoid. However, Virginia law does not require a crisis, especially after recent updates to the calculation of support.
As of July 1, 2025, Virginia expanded its child support obligation guidelines under Virginia Code § 20-108.2. The updated schedule now applies to combined gross monthly household incomes from $35,000 up to $42,500. Older support orders were built using lower income thresholds, which means the math behind those orders may no longer reflect how courts evaluate support today.
If your order was calculated under the prior limits, it may be based on a framework the court no longer uses. That difference matters. It can affect whether support accurately reflects current income, how judges assess fairness, and what courts expect if enforcement or modification becomes an issue.
Many parents are surprised to learn that updated guidelines alone can justify a closer review. Child support is meant to reflect present income and present legal standards, not assumptions made years ago under outdated caps.
This is one of the most overlooked steps after a divorce process, yet it affects families every single month. Reviewing whether your support order still fits today’s guidelines can prevent future disputes and bring clarity before problems surface.
8. Moving With a Child After Divorce
What Needs to Happen Before You Change an Address
After a divorce, even small moves can carry legal consequences when children are involved. Virginia requires written notice before relocating with a child, even if the move stays within Roanoke. Many parents assume this rule applies only to long-distance moves.
The purpose of this requirement is to protect parenting schedules and maintain stability. Courts want notice before routines change, not after conflict starts.
Most disputes begin when a move feels minor to one parent. Once notice is skipped, trust breaks down quickly and court involvement follows.
Providing notice on time protects you from accusations of interference and keeps parenting plans intact.
9. Changing Your Name After Divorce
Bringing Your Records Back Into Alignment
Restoring your name after divorce affects far more than a single form. It touches employment records, bank accounts, insurance policies, and travel documents. When those records do not match, daily life becomes harder than it needs to be.
The Final Decree allows the change, but follow-through is required. In Roanoke, the Social Security office must update your record before other institutions will act.
When this process is delayed, problems surface at inconvenient moments. Paychecks get flagged. Loans stall. Identification issues appear unexpectedly.
Handling name changes early in your post-divorce checklist brings your paperwork back into alignment and closes a chapter cleanly.
10. Finishing the Work After Divorce
When the divorce is over, many people expect a sense of closure. Instead, what lingers is a quiet unease. A feeling that something important may have been missed. Loose ends around finances, insurance, or parenting plans tend to resurface later, often at the worst possible time.
This post-divorce checklist is not about reopening conflict or rehashing the past. It is about identifying what still needs attention now, while you have the chance to address it cleanly and on your terms.
At Slovensky Law, we help Roanoke residents understand exactly what to do after divorce when the decree is signed, but the practical work is not finished. That includes reviewing court orders, checking compliance, and confirming whether changes in the law allow support or parenting issues to be revisited.
