When you got married, you genuinely believed in “until death do us part.” But somewhere along the line, your marriage got off onto the wrong track and now you’re headed for divorce court.

The process of divorcing means that you must make some difficult decisions. Some may have to do with which assets you want to keep. These decisions can be hard because often the logical answer to the problem isn’t what your heart wants. This conundrum means that you will have to think carefully about your plans.

When you consider your options, look at things from an outsider’s perspective. This might help you to view things objectively so that you can make decisions that will set you up for the best life possible after the divorce. Even if you want to retain a specific asset, you have to weigh that against the wisdom of fighting for it in the long run.

Some assets seem like a good idea to keep in the short-term, e.g., the family home. However, think about the cost of keeping it. Can you afford the monthly mortgage payments on it, as well as the insurance, taxes and upkeep fees? These can be considerable over time. We can help you weigh the pros and cons keeping specific marital assets and review alternatives so that you can make an informed decision.

Sometimes, thorny issues arise during heated property division cases that might make you decide to barter for one asset in lieu of another one. Think carefully about this before deciding. You might find that what is better in the short-term actually means you fare worse in the long-term.