Once the decision to divorce has been made, there are many things you should keep in mind as you go through the divorce settlement process because there are many issues that could complicate the process unless you are prepared.

First, you should get your paperwork in order and figure out your family assets and which assets you might be awarded. Other documents that you should gather are your tax records, checking account statements, brokerage accounts, insurance policies, debt, prenuptial agreements, etc.

Make sure you establish your own checking, savings and credit cards under your own names because this will protect both parties. It's also a good idea to inform your credit card companies of your divorce so that they can alert you if there are any charges that shouldn't be happening.

You and your spouse should also consider establishing an escrow account for interim expenses while the divorce is in process. This will avoid arguments about who is paying for what if you can agree on what items need to be covered during the divorce proceedings. Once the divorce is finalized, the account can be closed.

If children are part of the divorce, figure out the child support ahead of time. You will avoid emotional issues later if you can agree upfront on the arrangement. In addition, figure out how college tuition will be paid for now so that both parties won't be surprised in the future.

If both parents are working, figure out the best health coverage for your children and go with that plan and make sure that if circumstances change, that health coverage can be revisited at a later date.

The spouse that will have primary custody may want to keep the family home. That may work out fine, but you should both calculate the long-term costs of keeping the house. Can the spouse staying in the home afford it and be able to manage the upkeep? Make sure that keeping the house makes good financial sense.

While divorce can be a hard process, if you work together to figure out the future, it can become a lot less stressful.

Source: The Huffington Post, "We're Getting A Divorce, Now What?" Linda Descano, Feb. 1, 2012