certified divorce financial analyst

It's certainly not easy, but for those who can do it, calculating expenses jointly helps clarify points in the negotiation that should be acceptable to both parties. And any post-divorce expenses will need to consider all manner of child care costs.

Except for child custody matters, dealing with the division of assets is always the main area of stress during divorce proceedings. But you can take concrete steps that will take at least some of the pain out of the process, as Part Two of our series explains.

Even in a "friendly" divorce, both parties must make sure they're doing everything possible to protect their financial futures. But people in the midst of a divorce often don't know where to start. In this three-part series, we'll take you through the five key steps. Here's Part One.