Getting a divorce is one of the hardest things you’ll ever go through. Between the emotional turmoil of losing your partner and the financial strain of splitting things up and hiring a lawyer, a divorce is enough to make you want to take a permanent break from love.

While divorces are never fun, they don’t have to be messy, drawn-out, or even expensive. If you’re getting a divorce and have questions, you’ve come to the right place!

Keep reading for a few important tips on what you can do to make your split easier for everyone involved.

Aim for an Uncontested Divorce

Uncontested divorces are a fantastic way to save money, speed up the process, and salvage any friendship you may still have with your partner. Moreover, you can handle an uncontested divorce yourself to save even more money.

A DIY divorce will only cost around $300 or less and includes all the documents you’ll need to prep. In comparison, hiring an attorney can cost thousands of dollars, plus you’ll have to wait for your attorneys to draw up and submit documents, which can take weeks at the earliest.

An uncontested divorce isn’t always possible due to bad blood, but they are the simplest and quickest way to dissolve your marriage.

Hire a Lawyer to Handle the Big Stuff

While you can get around using an attorney for some of the process, you may want to involve a lawyer when splitting up your belongings. Though there are some personal belongings you can split up amongst yourself, determining bigger issues, such as who gets the house in a divorce or what to do about alimony or child support, is something best tackled with legal assistance.

A lawyer can also help you and your partner with any shared legal documents like wills or trusts that may need to change with your relationship status.

You won’t necessarily need separate lawyers, though. In a process called mediation, a single, impartial lawyer will guide you through the process.

Leave Your Kids out of It

Divorce is hard enough without kids. If you have children, things can get uglier thanks to custody battles, visitation rights, and more.

You and your partner would never do anything to deliberately hurt your kids. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t doing damage without recognizing it.

For starters, don’t badmouth your former partner in front of your children. We know, it may be tempting, but that’s their parent you’re talking about. They’ll take it personally and may bring it up to your spouse.

You should also avoid relying on your children for emotional support. Of course, you should talk about the divorce and make sure everyone is doing okay. But vent to your friends, not your kids.

Getting a Divorce? Follow These Tips to Make Life Easier

Getting a divorce is never easy, but these tips should make your divorce proceedings more manageable. Above all else, remember to take the high road — even if your partner doesn’t. You’ll save money, you’ll feel better, and you’ll set a great example for your children.