Note that divorce information given in this section cannot take the place of independent legal or financial divorce advice. Please read our disclaimer.

"I'm concerned that my credit is going to be affected as I go through my divorce; what can I do to protect myself?"

What you can do to protect your credit when you're going through a divorce is to establish your own checking and savings accounts right off the bat. Also, if you can establish credit in your own name with credit cards and department stores, do that at this point in time. If you can work with your spouse to transfer any existing debt over to your own credits cards, I would highly recommend that.

Otherwise, when going through a divorce, you must make certain that you are paying your credit obligations, mortgages, etc. on an ongoing basis.

Paul J. Toohey is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA^™). He is a member of Collaborative Divorce Solutions, a Collaborative Divorce Group located in Orange County, CA. His financial services can be reached at (714) 998-8200. View his Divorce Magazine profile.