There is a ton of divorce advice for women but when you are going through a divorce, you need the best. Although things don’t always happen the way we want them to, everyone aims for their divorce to go as smoothly as possible. If you haven’t gone through a divorce before, it is likely that you have no idea how to handle it. Lawyers can only help so much. You need real divorce advice for women minus the legal terminology. Below is some advice to get you through your divorce so you can get on with the wonderful life ahead of you.

1. Open bank accounts in your name

You are going to need bank accounts and a credit card or two in your name to establish your financial independence. A savings and checking account at a different bank than any joint accounts is recommended to ensure that nothing gets mixed up. It is never too soon to set these up. In addition to opening accounts in your name, know your money. You have to know where you are financially. Copy and file financial statements, tax documents, and ensure that everything makes sense.

2. Start saving money

If possible, put funds away for emergencies before filing. Attorney fees are high and on top of that, you must be able to cover your cost of living. Also, ensure that your name is on all accounts, utility bills, trusts, etc.so your signature, along with your ex’s are required. This prevents anyone from removing money from accounts.

3. Research, research, research

Women getting divorced want to take the time to educate themselves early in the process. The more you know, the more informed decisions you will make. First, do research over the internet, follow this with reading a few books on divorce. Learn your rights, learn how to find a good lawyer, and how to handle the division of assets. Additionally, talk to people you know that have gone through a divorce. Divorce advice for women from women that have gone through it themselves is so helpful. Basic research often leaves out a few of the details you want to mentally prepare yourself for.

4. Think before putting anything in writing

This is one of the most valuable divorce tips for women. Things can get heated during a divorce. There are strong emotions involved and anger is not exempt. During those times you do get mad, don’t take your inner turmoil online or send your soon to be ex an email that’s not so nice. A little revenge may seem like a good idea in the heat of the moment but will it do any good? You are getting divorced. The best thing to do is end the marriage on good terms. One poor move can turn a divorce that would have been easy and painless into a petty, drawn out war. Watch what passes your lips as well.

5. Commit to taking care of yourself

You have to empower yourself in order to end the marriage, dust yourself off, and move on. Don’t mope and let yourself go. Instead, make yourself better than ever. Rather than turning to food for comfort, release stress and negative emotions with exercise, eat well and spend an extra five minutes on your appearance every morning. Every woman should feel confident.

6. Remain amicable

The factor that prevents this from happening is the hurt involved during a divorce and facing the fact that love and time were lost but remaining on good terms is very important whether you have children or not. Keep the peace by getting your emotions in check. Don’t be bitter when it is time to split the assets, don’t engage in arguments, and if possible, keep communication open with your soon to be ex. Divorce gets a bad rap but it doesn’t have to be a terrible experience as long as both parties involved choose to act like adults.

7. If you have kids, work out a custody agreement beforehand

Another great piece of divorce advice for women is work out what happens with the children before anything else. Who wants the court to decide what is best for their kids? Children benefit from having two parents in their life so keep that in mind when working out an agreement. For most, joint custody is the ideal choice. Custody battles are not good for you and they certainly aren’t good for children.

8. Consider joining a support group

In addition to the seven divorce tips for women provided, you may want to seek further divorce advice and support for women where divorce advice for women is exchanged among those also going through a divorce. There are actual support groups to join that are a huge help. They give hope to those parting ways with their spouse and make the transition from married woman to single woman easier. Groups also reduce the loneliness women feel during a divorce (friendships may be lost) and provide the opportunity to connect with others that understand what they are going through. Additionally, there will be women within the group at different stages in the divorce process.

Exchanging experiences and being able to openly discuss particular topics pertaining to your divorce offers relief from everything going on in your life. You get to let your feelings out, discuss your thoughts freely and get the support you need from new friends. To join a group focused on divorce advice and support for women, do an online search to find a few in your area. Support groups hosted online are another option.

Divorce is difficult for everyone but there are ways to make it easier. During the entire process, do not forget to focus on you, your happiness and your independence along with keeping the peace. Just remember that keeping the peace doesn’t mean giving your spouse whatever he wants, it means handling things like an adult and working everything out in a way that leaves both parties satisfied and on good terms.