Going through a divorce can be a stressful experience but once you have made the decision to break your relationship, your best strategy should be to be well prepared as to what comes ahead.
The first step should be finding a good lawyer and setting up an initial consultation. During the initial consultation, you should already be prepared to discuss the specific details of your case since the more information your legal counsel has, the better they can defend you interests. In most initial consultations, it is the client who talks more while your attorney listens, asks questions and makes notes. The goal is to ensure the situation is all clear between the parties involved.
You will be required to provide your basic contact information, your background information, information about your children if any, employment information for both spouses, information about income, assets and liabilities which normally include all accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles, bonds, stocks etc. and your liabilities will include any mortgages, credit card debt, loans etc. You should know approximate balances of everything and should have the income information. If there was a prenuptial agreement, your lawyer should be made aware of that and the same is true for any premarital assets or inheritance during marriage.
Once all this information is off the ground, the attorney will then discuss and identify potential issues that can occur during the divorce proceedings such as child custody, parenting time, property division, alimony and child support. You should discuss alternate forms of dispute resolution such as mediation, arbitration or collaborative divorce and you should know the pros and cons of each before you opt for traditional divorce litigation.
If you decide to retain the attorney, you should know the cost involved and should also make any financial arrangements with the law firm if and when required. It is extremely important to be comfortable with your attorney and to have the confidence that he/she is the right present to defend your rights.