You have found someone new and you just want to “get out” of your current marriage so you can move on. Stop!

Whether it was not getting the house correctly documented or forgetting to transfer retirement funds, I cannot stress the importance of properly wrapping up all issues before moving on to a new intimate relationship.

Let me share a story to illustrate the point. Some of you may remember when Clayton Moore who played the Lone Ranger on the radio and television. He was the only actor on the Hollywood Walk of Fame who had his character’s name along with his own on the star. Clayton Moore appeared in 169 half-hour television shows and two feature films.

In 1979, the Wrather Corporation, which owned the rights to the Lone Ranger, planned on making a movie. They believed Moore was too old to play the masked man. Instead of reaching an agreement with Moore, Wrather sued to prevent him from wearing the mask in public. Why? The new owner didn’t want the old character either associated with or impeding the fresh take on the new character. They were literally faught Moore over the mask!

Wrather won in the court but lost in the court of public opinion. Clayton Moore was unable to be the hero character he portrayed for nearly 25 years, but the movie tanked at the box office bringing in a measly $12 million to the $18million shelled out. Nobody won.

So, what is the point of the story and how does it relate to you if you are divorcing? Had Wrather simply taken care of all the loose ends in its divorce with Clayton Moore, they could have moved on and made a hit movie. The same point applies to you. If you want to move on with your life and have a wonderful new relationship, wrap up all the loose ends of your divorce. Make sure your self-worth and net-worth are both protected.