If you are thinking through the decision of getting a divorce, it’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the basic steps in the legal process. Divorce can be a confusing and difficult time in your life, particularly if you aren’t familiar with what exactly happens. It doesn’t matter if you have been thinking about getting a divorce for years or the thought has only just crossed your mind, the more information you know about the process the better. If you’ve tried everything you can to save your marriage and still want to get a divorce, keep reading on below. We will be walking you through some of the basic steps to the divorce process so that you know what to expect regardless of your personal situation.

1. Educate Yourself

This is the first and probably the most important step to take if you are interested in getting a divorce. You want to debunk any divorce myths you might have been told and learn a little bit about what state laws will impact your divorce proceedings. You should learn about different ways to resolve a divorce like litigation, mediation, and arbitration. You should also research how divorce exactly works so that you don’t run into any surprises when the time comes to take action. Do not underestimate the power of educating yourself when it comes to getting a divorce.

2. Think Through the Logistics

Sometimes, divorces can end up dragging on for a long time. If you don’t hire a great divorce attorney to help you get through it all, you could be in for a long legal process. It’s important to consider all of the logistics of a divorce before you actually move forward. It’s easy to focus on what your life is going to be like after the divorce instead of focusing on how you will manage your life during the divorce. Think through details like where you are going to live, whether or not your spouse will continue to live with you, what you will do to keep the kids happy and healthy, and other important things.

3. Collect Your Financial Information

Divorce is a process that is driven by documents. If you think you want to pursue a divorce, an important step to take will be preparing, compiling, and organizing your financial documents. You want to give your divorce attorney everything they need to paint an accurate picture of your financial story. Don’t neglect this step, because it could end up being a costly mistake!

4. Determine the Best Way to Tell Your Spouse

Perhaps the hardest part of getting a divorce is building up the courage to tell your spouse. It’s better to tell your spouse about the divorce before the actually get the divorce papers. Try to break the news in a gentle and peaceful way. You are both adults, so treat the discussion in a mature and respectful way. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for a potentially heated divorce.

5. Find a Great Divorce Attorney

The final step we will mention in this article is locating a great divorce attorney. You should not neglect to spend time to research and find a divorce attorney that is a good fit for you. You can always reach out to the Johnson Law Firm and Associates to pair up with a professional and reliable divorce attorney.