Going through a divorce is never easy, but for many Australians, it is the right choice. Relationships can devolve to a place that is no longer healthy for anyone, and for those involved, it feels like a weight is pulling them down. But how do you even start such a procedure? Often, you are so consumed with the idea of getting a divorce that when the time finally comes you don't actually know what steps to take past this initial thought. Here are a few pointers to get you started on your new journey.

Family Law

Family law is the area of the law that concerns all things divorce-related from the filing of divorce papers to divvying up all your assets and organising custody of your children (if you have any). As soon as you decide that you want a divorce, you and your ex-partner should begin contacting family law firms to get representation. While you might have the noble idea that you want to do this without involving lawyers the simple fact is that even for the cleanest divorce you need lawyers to check over the paperwork and make sure everything is correct. This is better done sooner rather than later as the process only gets harder the more time passes.

Leave

You would be surprised at how many couples stay living in the same house even after the issue of divorce has been raised and agreed on. When that happens, there is nothing healthy about staying in the same location as you are just asking for conflict. In the short term, you could try and find a place to stay at your friends or family, but keep an eye out for a property you could call home soon. If there are children involved, you should try and stay within a reasonable distance for travelling to and from your ex-partners. The best thing you can do when in a toxic environment is to simply remove yourself from it, and that's why leaving is so important.

Refocus

Ending a marriage is a very tough thing because, for a long time, you might assume this is what the rest of your life will look like. It can be then jarring to discover that is not the case and you have to rethink who you are and what you want to be. Therapy can be helpful for this (and never underestimate the power of a good therapist when it comes to a divorce), but simply putting your energy into your passions can help take your mind off what is happening. Playing sport, exercising, writing, reading, photography, community groups and more are all great activities that allow you space to breathe and come to terms with what happened in your own time.