Some in the middle of a divorce do not look far past the end of their ordeal. In other words, they want to complete their divorce as fast as possible so they can start building a new life.

Unfortunately, a favorable divorce settlement is usually a prerequisite for successfully starting over. The following divorce “don’ts” could significantly improve your post-divorce economic circumstances.

1. Don’t discount spousal support

No matter how proud or bitter you may feel, do not dismiss the prospect of seeking alimony without careful consideration. Most people underestimate how expensive it is to survive on one income after combining economic resources with another for many years.

When a marriage is no longer tenable and you decide to divorce, one of the biggest issues you will contend with is whether you should leave the family home or not during the divorce process. Of course, either decision has repercussions. Sharing the same living space with your spouse can be quite uncomfortable. On the other hand, moving out could impact your property division goals.

If you decide to live together during the divorce process, it is important that you come up with some ground rules. Here are three helpful tips that can help you share the home with your soon-to-be ex while working out the terms of your divorce.

Establish a personal space

Even if the divorce is amicable, it is important that each spouse has a space they can call their own. This includes having separate bedrooms and closets. Additionally, you need to discuss how you are going to share common spaces like the kitchen, washrooms and living room. If you have shared computers or had similar passwords, you may want to set boundaries here too.

If you and your spouse are using a joint bank account and you decide to get divorced, you will need to close that account. Often, this is just a technical task. Maybe it’s where you get your paychecks deposited, for instance, so you both want to start a new account to split up your future income.

But one thing that is important to keep in mind is that this also can become contentious in some situations. For instance, you cannot simply close a joint account and take all of the money out of it yourself. This could be construed as a form of fraud, in the sense that it appears you were trying to hide those assets from your spouse. They do need to be divided between both of you during the divorce.

So, while closing the account is a good idea, you do also need to communicate with your spouse and do this at the same time. In fact, some banks will require that you are both there or that you at least get the other person’s signature before they will allow you to close the account.

After divorce, many people live separately from their exes, like in a different city, state or even another country. However, some divorced couples opt to live together instead. (There may even be couples who take advantage of Illinois Statutes Chapter 750 Families, Section 5/401 (a-5) (the six-month separation requirement) by living in different areas of the same building.)

You’re probably wondering why some divorced couples live together since there’s usually great tension between them. Here are three common reasons why they share living space.

To save money

Owning a home is expensive — and in some cases — moving out and renting an apartment is just as costly. Furthermore, moving in with a relative or friend isn’t feasible for everyone. Therefore, some exes decide to share the same household, even if it might take extra work to not break into arguments.

Every fit parent has the right to spend time with their child regardless of the living arrangements or the nature of the relationship with their co-parent. Unfortunately, however, it is not uncommon for a parent to interfere with a court-approved custody and visitation plan.

If your co-parent is stopping you from seeing your child, you need to take specific steps to exercise your rights. Here is what you need to know if your co-parent is interfering with the custody order.

Court orders are binding

Your co-parent might have their own reasons for attempting to interfere with an existing custody order. Perhaps, you are not returning the child in time or they do not approve of your current love life. However, they simply cannot take the law into their own hands. Once a judge approves and signs the custody order, both parties must abide by it if and until it has been formally modified. Any attempt to sabotage it amounts to a violation. And the consequences of a violation can be far-reaching, regardless of a parent’s motivation.