When you’re getting married and taking your vows to stand by your partner until the end of time, the truth is, you mean it. You never want to think about the possibility of things going south and hitting a dead end that results in divorce. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case. If you find yourself standing in the face of divorce, don’t panic. You have clearly tried everything to make things work, and it just wasn’t meant to be. And now it’s time for you to think about what needs to be done to make it a smooth process to avoid the painful process being prolonged for too long.

1. Get All Your Documents

The first thing you need to do is make sure that you have all your documents and that they’re arranged properly. This is, at the end of the day, a legal procedure, and the last thing you want to do is not be prepared. This means, first and foremost, your financial paperwork needs to be in order. Go to your bank and get your account and credit details and also get any paperwork that concerns you in terms of insurance, and anything that proves that you have ownership of any property. Also look into any personal paperwork that you may have lying around, such as social security details and your birth certificate, for instance. Gather all of these things, make copies of them all, and keep them somewhere safe. Preferably not in the house that you share together anymore. 

2. Find an Attorney You Can Count On

This is probably the most important step to take during this process. If you don’t have a good lawyer, then this is going to be an extremely complicated and long process, and you certainly don’t want or need that. Florida-based divorce firm MorganDivorceLaw.com advises you to educate yourself on the options available to be able to go into the process with confidence. You need a lawyer that will carry the weight for you, always be accessible, and always explain everything in detail to you so that you don’t feel lost or out of the loop; read more if you're looking for a divorce attorney in Houston, Texas. The last thing you want is any kind of surprise. The more communicative your attorney is, the more reliable they tend to be. You don’t need one that sugarcoats things for you, only to end up with disaster at the end of it all. 

3. List Assets & Possessions that Will be Split

At some point, you and your partner are going to have to go over how the assets will be split between the two of you. The best way to go about this is to have a comprehensive list of everything. And yes, we mean everything. This way, you’ll be able to get everything out of the way. It helps if you have paperwork and receipts along with these possessions to help make the split more amicable without too much dispute. Remember not to be spiteful, and only hold on to the things you need or that have sentimental value to you, or are simply within your rights. You’re moving on to a new life, and it would be smart to make a clean break so that the process doesn’t go on for ages and get really bitter. You’ll find that at the end of the day, material things and money will come and go, but having to deal with trauma or distress of any kind stays with you for a long time. 

4. Prepare Your New Home

When you know that it’s the end of the road, it’s time for you to plan ahead. It’s not smart to wait until you’ve taken care of other matters involved in the divorce process, this is something that you need to start doing immediately after the decision is made. Think about moving away from this neighborhood, or even the city if you can. This way, you can give yourself the chance of a completely fresh start in new surroundings, away from anything that might remind you of your life with your spouse. The divorce process has many factors to it, and you’ll barely have time to do much, so it’s a good idea to have this taken care of as early on as possible.

It’s hard to look at the divorce process from a practical perspective alone, but it is necessary if you want to get through it as smoothly as possible. You’re entitled to have the emotions that you feel, by all means, but it’s imperative that you strike a balance and follow the steps suggested here so that it is as painless as possible.