Protect your credit concerning ex-spouse.

• Position: Your Life

Nothing about going through a divorce is pleasant--and having your credit ruined as a result of an ex-spouse's behavior can be horrible. The Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies, Fairfax, Va., advises consumers to do everything they can to protect their credit in a divorce.

"Our counselors frequently see divorced persons who have a bad credit rating and are being contacted for payment because their ex-spouse did not pay a joint account that was assigned to them in the divorce decree:' says David Jones, president. To help protect your credit in a divorce, AICCCA offers these four tips:

Transfer balances on joint credit card accounts to separate accounts. As part of the divorce agreement, have your attorney request that, rather than assigning joint credit card accounts to one spouse or the other, close the accounts and have the balances transferred to accounts in each spouse's name. The amount transferred would be based on the amount for which each spouse is determined responsible.

Close joint accounts if it is not feasible to transfer to separate accounts. Either party can request that a joint account be closed. If you are not able to transfer the joint account balance to separate accounts for whatever reason, closing the account will prevent additional charges...