During an automatic decree upon filing for divorce, which action is taken with respect to the parties’ finances?

• A. Freeze assets
• B. Increase debts
• C. Sell assets
• D. Ignore orders

Answer: (A)

When a divorce is filed, courts typically issue automatic temporary restraining orders that immediately affect finances. The goal is to keep marital assets from being spent, hidden, or transferred while the case is pending, so there will be something left to divide later. The action taken at filing is to freeze assets, preventing disposal or encumbrance of property. The other options clash with these automatic orders: increasing debts or selling assets without permission would undermine the preservation of the estate, and ignoring orders is not allowed. Exceptions exist for reasonable living expenses or ordinary business needs, but they don’t authorize freely increasing debts or disposing of assets.