Anyone who has recently applied for a mortgage knows that lenders are already looking much more closely at your financial affairs. But soon, they’ll be able to easily delve into the deepest recesses of your financial life, accessing information that never before appeared on your credit report.

Divorce decrees do not relieve either party of joint financial responsibility. The purpose of divorce is to split off emotionally, and financially, from your ex-spouse. If you aren’t careful, your ex-spouse’s handling of your once-joint credit accounts can haunt your “FICO Score” and “Credit Rating” for years. If you had joint debts which existed before your divorce, and these accounts are not both paid off and closed, you are just asking for trouble.