During your divorce, there are a number of things you should do to help protect yourself, your family and your assets. If you aren't careful, you could end up owing money in your divorce settlement and could be left without anything at all. Divorce is the time when you need to pay close attention, be well-informed, and ask questions so you understand so you don't end up making mistakes that you can't take back. Read on for tips to help you avoid making some costly mistakes during your divorce.

Get Your Own Attorney

Be sure to hire your own attorney that will look out for your best interest. If you thought about using the same attorney, don't. That one attorney will only be looking out for the best interest of the party that made the original appointment, so if things go sour halfway through your divorce, you'll be left looking for a new attorney. It's best to find your own attorney and skip the headache later down the road.

Read Everything

Don't just sign off on things without paying attention to what you're signing. Always have your attorney look over any paperwork sent your way and never sign off on anything you aren't sure about. Have your attorney discuss the paperwork with you and ask any questions you may have. Don't be afraid to tell your attorney that you don't understand something. 

Get Informed

If you didn't typically handle the bills in your home, you need to get informed on what is owed, as well as how much money you have in your bank account or in other financial accounts. If you aren't informed on these, you need to be. Make phone calls to your creditors as well as to your banking facilities to figure out what is out there. You don't want to find out later that there was a secret account with quite a bit of money in it that you weren't aware of, so gather as much information as you can and make copies, so you have them for your records.

Look At The Big Picture

If money is important to the other party and your children are more important to you, take a look at the bigger picture. You may have to give up a few assets, but if the takeaway is more time with your child, then give up something if you have to. Remember to think about the end result, not just about what is going on right at that moment. 

Don't make mistakes throughout your divorce. Make sure you talk to your divorce lawyer about anything and everything, ask questions and make sure you stay informed.