If you’re facing the prospect of separation and divorce, take time to educate yourself about the process and how to prepare for it.

Impulsive, emotional decisions can often impact your legal standing and add stress to an already difficult situation. In North Carolina, where author Jaime H. Davis practices, spouses must be separated a year and a day in order to file for divorce. That year is a critical time during which important decisions must be made, either by the spouses or the court. Based on the podcast of the same name, A Year and a Day: Divorce without Destruction provides information and tips for getting through a separation and divorce without destroying family relationships or the family finances.