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Divorce is hard enough, but there are some things that divorcing people do that make the road ahead much harder financially and emotionally. By avoiding some common divorce mistakes and taking a proactive instead of a passive approach to splitting up you could avert even more heartache and stress.

For instance, a Daily Finance article Getting Divorced or Separated? 7 Financial Mistakes Not to Make advises that couples separate their finances as much as possible, including breaking up joint accounts, once a decision is made to divorce. “One reason to close joint credit cards and loans is that each of you will be 100% financially liable for debts incurred – even if the other person racked up the bills,” reports Lynnette Khalfani-Cox.

It’s also important to adjust to a new reality. Other moves that could come back to jeopardize you down the road include keeping the family home or trying to maintain the same lifestyle you did when married. Those can be costly mistakes if your post-divorce finances can’t support you.

“Before your divorce, you may have taken regular family vacations, eaten out whenever you wanted, and had your three kids enrolled in tennis classes and soccer lessons, as well as the after-school band club. In your post divorce, life, however, you’d be wise to accept a simple truth and break it gently to your children: You and the kids can’t do everything you previously did,” Khalfani-Cox writes.

These are common-sense steps you should take to avoid making a sad situation worse. And though it can be difficult to talk to your soon-to-be ex, it’s definitely a mistake not find some way to communicate during the process, whether that be face-to-face, by email, phone or by text.