Counts
Alimony / spousal support
Counts as qualifying income IF you have a court order specifying duration AND a 6-month receipt history (varies by lender; some require 12). The income must continue for at least 3 years post-close.
Buying After Divorce · cleaner than it feels
Divorce is hard.
The mortgage doesn't have to be.
Post-divorce buyers face restructured income, credit hits, and the question of who owns what. Most loan programs handle divorce gracefully — if you know what counts and how to document it.
· The income picture
What counts.
What doesn't.
Counts
Child support
Same rules as alimony — court order + receipt history + 3-year continuance. Lenders may exclude child support if children are nearing age-out (18 in most states).
Doesn't count (yet)
Verbal agreements / informal payments
Without a court order, lenders won't count it. Even a notarized agreement may not qualify on its own. Court-stamped is the standard.
Joint assets
Equity from the prior home
If you sold and split, your share counts as down payment funds (gift letter not required for your own equity). If you bought out your ex's share, that's a separate refinance event.
Reserves
What's in your name now
Lenders look at YOUR accounts post-divorce. Get accounts retitled cleanly. Joint accounts in dispute create file headaches.
· Watch-outs
Four traps
post-divorce buyers hit.
Pitfall 01
Buying before the decree is final.
Lenders need the final divorce decree, not a pending case. Some lenders accept legal separation; many don't. Wait until 'final.'
Pitfall 02
Forgetting the joint debts on credit.
If your ex was supposed to pay the credit card and didn't, late payments hit your credit too. Pull all three reports BEFORE applying.
Pitfall 03
Carrying old joint accounts forward.
Close joint accounts as soon as the decree allows. Or refinance to remove your name. Otherwise the joint debt counts in YOUR DTI and any missed payment hurts you.
Pitfall 04
Skipping the 6-month support history.
Most lenders need to see 6+ months of received support payments via deposit history. Plan for the timeline.
Divorce restructures.
Buying restarts.
Five minutes. We map your post-divorce income + credit + reserves and tell you which loan path opens cleanest.