According to Divorce Magazine, 49% of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce. Th is means that almost half of all women will have to face a divorce in their lifetime. Being prepared is imperative to surviving one of life’s most stressful events. Here is list of “must dos” if you believe your marriage is headed for divorce.

Have a plan: Since the divorce process usually last at least a year, it is important to have a realistic plan for how to care for yourself and children during the divorce without any fi nan- cial support or assistance from your spouse. Get Money: Have access to at least six months of living expenses before starting the divorce. Speak to an attorney to get an idea of how much the divorce will cost.

Get Credit: It is important for you to have good credit and to have access to your own credit cards before starting the divorce in case of a fi nancial emergency. Don’t count on being able to get credit during or immediately aft er the divorce.

Pay off Debt: Pay off as much of the debt in your name before starting the divorce. Th is will also reduce your monthly living expenses during the divorce.

Update Work Skills: If you’re not employed, get your resume in order and skills updated. You will have to work; even if you and your spouse agreed during the marriage that you would stay home to care for the children. Avoid the misconception that it is better not to work or to limit your income in order to get more spousal support.

Lose the Emotion: Women oft en act on emotion, especially when it comes to divorce. Approach divorce as a business deal. Only when you can step outside the emotion and look at things in perspective will you be able to make good decisions about your future.

Get Witnesses: Litigated divorces often become cases of he said/she said. Ignore your pride and have witnesses who are willing to testify for you for everything from instances of domestic violence to the allocation of childcare responsibilities.

Know the Marital Finances: Know everything you can about all the marital finances, including all income, fi nancial assets, and debt, even the ones in your husband’s name alone.

Make Copies of Everything: Have copies of all financial documents and put them in a safe place outside of the marital residence. Th ese important documents have a habit of disap- pearing when a divorce is pending.

JENNIFER CISNEROS Jennifer Cisneros is a partner at the law firm Whitbeck & Cisneros P.C. She concentrates her practice on family law matters. Ms.Cisneros lives in Loudoun County with her husband and three children. She can be reached at 703- 777-1795 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .