Q. I got divorced about six months ago. I work remotely, which is fine so long as I have an internet connection. My ex has a day job, but we had approximately equal incomes, and no children.
The only issue was division of our two houses, one in Massachusetts and one in Naples, Fla. After the divorce, I moved to Naples. Now, just a few months later, the recent hurricane blew the Naples house to pieces.

I have insurance, but it isn’t enough to rebuild the house. To rebuild properly I’d need to use all my liquid assets. In the meantime, I don’t have a place to work from, so I’m worried that I’ll lose my job.

Is it possible to reopen the divorce to revise the settlement agreement?

A. I’d bet that, like most agreements, your agreement: a) was incorporated into, but not merged into the judgment of divorce; and (b) provides that the all assets were disclosed, you had time to (and maybe you did) consult with a lawyer, and that you signed the agreement without any duress or undue influence.
When the parties agreement is not merged into the judgment, then the court cannot change the terms of the agreement unless it involves child-related matters and, in some cases, alimony issues. That results in finality of the settlement, and it often allows each party to plan what they want to do in the future without having to get their ex-spouse’s permission. Although it won’t help your situation, if you want to read the relevant Massachusetts case, go to my web site, wendyhickeylaw.com and search for Ames v. Perry.

While you didn’t mention it, I assume you also permanently waived alimony. There, too, even if you lose your job, it is probably that the court would not reopen the case and award you alimony.
Of course, if you and your ex-husband had an amicable divorce, he might be willing to help you re-build either by giving or lending you some money or being on a mortgage.
When deciding a divorce case, the probate court judges do not have a crystal ball or try to guess what will occur in the future. The court uses the facts that were entered in to evidence by testimony and documents. Assuming your two houses were of equal value, the judge would likely have made the same decision made by you and your husband. And that decision would probably not be changed because your house was actually blown down.

So, as I’ve often said to clients, even though you have serious problems, you no longer have to deal with, make meals for, or accommodate your ex. As they used to say in the old days: You’ve got a lot of Moxie and the smarts to dig out from this mess. So why go back to that worn-out jalopy?

Q. My divorce lawyer wants to communicate with me via email. I understand why that is most convenient, but I am concerned about privacy. My husband has degrees in computer science. I’m a computer novice – barely literate. He no longer lives in the house, but I’m afraid to touch the computer. What if he installed spyware? What if he can read my emails?
He knows how to do this stuff – he used to joke with his buddies about what he could do for them if they got divorced.

I’m also worried he’ll get into my bank accounts and credit cards.

Is there a way to make my online banking and email communications safe?

A. There are options. The road you take depends, in part, on your cash flow. If you like your present computer, you need to find an IT person. Ask that your computer be password protected and protected from both viruses and hacking. Be sure the new password is something your husband won’t be able to guess. To be safe, change that password every month.

Or buy a new computer and have the IT folks set it up with solid virus protection programs. Open a new email account with a name or numbers you’ve never before used. Instruct your divorce lawyer to NOT copy or blind copy you on any communications with the other side. Instead, after he sends an email to the other side, only then will he forward a copy to you. This avoids someone hitting “reply all” which would then accidentally email the other lawyer information that was meant only for your lawyer.

If your online banking and credit cards are only in your name, you need to close your accounts and open new ones – maybe in a new bank and charge company. Also, change all of your user names and passwords. If any accounts or credit cards are in joint names, then get a new credit card and open a new bank account only in your name. If you’re concerned about his looking at your mail, have it sent to a post office box that you open in a nearby city or town.

But don’t worry about your husband finding out what you’re spending money on. That’s because your documents – and his documents – must be produced to the other side. And the total expenses are listed on the court-required financial statement. So none of your spending will be a secret until the divorce is over.

Of course, since he’ll see what you’re buying and where, why not buy some sexy lingerie which you could – not that you are planning to – use on a romantic getaway. If nothing else, his attempt to figure out why you needed that lingerie just might fan more flames than you intend.