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If you have any reason to think that your marriage may be ending, it’s time to start taking precautions to protect your finances. Many unsuspecting people are taken advantage of financially during divorce proceedings – you could find yourself broke or paying your spouses debt if you aren’t careful. The following are the most important areas you should address before you begin divorce proceedings:

The first thing to do is to reduce unnecessary expenses as soon as possible. Divorce is expensive and sooner or later, you’ll need money to pay the legal bills. Sell off any personal property you no longer need or want – including extra furniture, unused cars or expensive clothing and trinkets. It’s possible that anything left over will be considered in your divorce settlement, so now’s the time to cut the fat.

The next thing to look at is any jointly owned credit cards you and your spouse hold. One thing to consider is that you can be held accountable for your spouse’s debt – even after you divorce – if your spouse defaults on any outstanding balance on your joint credit cards. To protect yourself, pay off the balances on your jointly owned credit cards and then close the accounts.

Better still – if you aren’t yet married – consider signing a prenuptial agreement that states you can’t be held responsible for your spouses debt. Give a copy of this paperwork to a credit agency before you open an account. Unfortunately, this type of protection only works if you haven’t yet opened the account – not if you’ve already accrued a balance – so it’s something to think about if you marry again in the future.

If you suspect that a divorce is coming and share a joint checking account with your partner, immediately open a personal checking account and start routing your finances through that account. Divorce can be stressful, and the last thing you need is for your spouse to clear out the account and take off, leaving you with nothing. When you open this account, do so at a different bank – don’t stay with the same company where you and your partner have joint accounts.

Immediately stop contributing money to any joint 401K retirement or pension plans you and your spouse own. In most cases, you can do so by letting your employer know or by making similar arrangements with your discount brokerage firm. You’ll also want to change the beneficiaries on these accounts and on any insurance policies you own. Make sure that any assets you have will be redirected to family and friends in the event of an emergency – not your spouse.

Finally, if you aren’t currently working, it’s time to find a job. If you’ve relied on your partner’s income for awhile, this will be tough, but you’ve got to learn to support yourself. If your divorce settlement doesn’t include any income from your spouse, you’ll have to find some way to meet your financial needs. Divorce is a tough, frustrating thing, but learning to protect yourself and your finances in the first step in getting through the process.

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