As you prepare for divorce, you do your best to consider anything and everything that could go wrong. And by doing so, you position yourself to best handle anything that comes your way.

Once you decide to divorce, turn your attention to common sticking points such as the following:

• Child custody: There's a good chance you'll disagree with your spouse with regard to child custody. For example, both of you may argue that you should have physical custody of your children. Questions and concerns regarding physical and legal custody are likely to be a big part of the divorce process.
• Property and debt division: Just the same as custody, this has the potential to cause additional tension in your divorce. Both you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse want to obtain as many assets as possible, while avoiding debts. Use a property and debt division checklist to get organized and protect your legal rights.
• The family home: This goes along with property division, but deserves its own mention. The family home is often your biggest asset, so you may have strong feelings about what should happen to it. If both of you want to stay in the home, it's much more difficult to find a resolution. Should one or both of you be willing to leave, it's easier to settle on a plan for equitable distribution of the asset.
• Visitation schedule: Child custody and visitation go together hand in hand. The parent who doesn't have physical custody of the children may receive visitation rights. If you're that parent, it's important that you fight for a visitation schedule that allows you to spend as much time as possible with your children.

There's no way of knowing exactly how things will unfold during the divorce process, but there are steps you can take to protect your legal rights and give you confidence.

When you protect against these common sticking points, you'll find it easier to get what you want from your divorce. And when that happens, it's much easier to put your marriage in the past and move on with your new life.