Preparing for divorce is the last thing a couple would think about when they first get married. Yet the statistics suggest that every newly wed couple has a 40 to 50 percent chance of getting divorced.

Divorces are emotionally painful, complicated, consume a lot of time and often a lot of money. They are frequently a contest over income and assets.

Although the courts favor the woman, it is the party that prepared for their divorce by doing their homework, using the right planning and strategy that wins a favorable settlement over how this income and assets get divided up.

1.) The first step is to separate out personal assets from those that are shared jointly in the marriage. These ‘non marital assets’ include personal gifts you’ve received, inherited property, items that were yours prior to the marriage, and worker’s compensation.

These assets are not divided up in a divorce but are considered to be yours and normally will be awarded to you. Don’t allow these assets to be commingled in with your spouse’s assets as it will be much more difficult to claim them in a divorce.

2.) Next, keep separate records of both yours and your partner’s financial holdings. These include bank accounts, stocks, IRA’s, and land. Store these records in a safe place such as a safety deposit box. This is also a good time to save any information that came from or is about your spouse. This means joint bank statements, notes, records, and letters. Save the information no matter how trivial it seems to you. It’s usefulness can only be assessed by your lawyer.

3.) The third step is to arrange to cancel all joint access to both money and credit as soon as it’s certain that you’re going through with the divorce. This means debit and credit cards in both of your names and all joint checking and savings accounts. You may be liable for any new debts incurred by your partner on joint credit cards before the divorce is finalized.

4.) Finally, nothing is more vital than finding the services of a good lawyer when getting a divorce. In addition to experience in divorce law, the lawyer should be someone you can trust. This person should be working with your best interests in mind and should be willing to answer all of your questions. Before deciding on a lawyer you should contact several first.

While you are getting on with your divorce, don’t forget the importance of looking after your own health, both physical and emotional.

Little known divorce tactics and strategies – See Men’s Divorce Tactics.