Secure your own oxygen mask before trying to help others.

This statement is not just an airline travel fact, but a lesson on how to proceed in a divorce when you are the supporting spouse.

As the primary wage earner, it is easy to forget about yourself as you focus upon earning an income for your family. Sometimes the primary wage earners I represent work excessively during the divorce process to ensure that they can maintain every bit of the lifestyle their soon-to-be ex-spouse and children enjoyed when the marriage was intact. This results not only in physical but mental and emotional fatigue because, let's face it, everything won't always be the same again, including finances.

Being in a state of extreme fatigue can lead you to make decisions that aren't best for you in the long run.  While the divorce process can be stressful and your desire to provide financially may be heightened, remember that you cannot help others in a crisis until you have already secured your own stability.