If you are about to get a divorce from your spouse, the process can be very confusing and overwhelming. Many people end up making mistakes along the way and don't prepare for everything correctly.  Being prepared for this process is essential because you don't want to get into a messy divorce simply because you didn't understand all the legal issues and what you need to do on your end.  Make sure you always seek legal counsel and get free consultations so you are able to understand the entire process and refrain from making one of these three mistakes.

Not being willing to compromise.

During any divorce proceeding, you should be willing to compromise.  Divorce is final in a legal sense between your spouse and yourself.  Everything should be put on the table regarding money, where the children are going to stay, who is going to get the pets and so on. You cannot expect to get everything you want during the divorce, even when it wasn't your fault to begin with. You have to be willing to give and work things out a little with the other party, otherwise, you are just going to make things that much more complicated for yourself.

Living beyond your means.

No one should ever live beyond their means. However, people do so and cause a large pile of credit card debt to occur.  That debt is often referred to as joint debt. While you might have been able to afford that debt when you were married, many find that they aren't able to pay for everything when they are on their own. Instead of trying to live a lifestyle that you cannot afford, you need to be able to walk away and start living within your means. Be realistic in what you can and cannot afford. This will save you a lot of financial stress down the road.

Not having an attorney present.

Sometimes separations that lead to divorce proceedings are not done in the court system. However, there are attorneys that will do what is called a legal separation. They will be with you in a mediation session to distribute assets and discuss other monies, children, custody of pets and anything else that needs to be divided down the middle. Depending on what state you live in, it might be different than a 50-50 split. 

Don't ever assume that you can handle everything on your own. In doing so, you could make a mistake that could cause you to lose out on money, time with the children and marital assets. Let someone who knows how the system works handle it for you. For more information, contact an LGBT divorce lawyer.