Here are the first things you should do when you begin planning for a divorce. The choices you make at the beginning can make for a smoother divorce.

Financial instability is one of the biggest fears that arise when facing a divorce. This is not surprising, given the very real financial impacts of divorce—particularly on women.

Collaborative divorce arises from the principle of collaborative law. According to the American Bar Association, collaborative law is a legal approach in which lawyers are retained to help their clients “resolv[e], by agreement, all issues related to the matter in a dispute.” In most cases, this approach is applied to divorce.

One of the most important decisions you can make during your divorce process is hiring the right advisors to guide you through the process.