When your marriage is on the slide, all too often your credit score takes a hit as well. While a divorce decree ends one type of relationship, your creditors don’t want you to leave them, unless it is on their terms. You can take steps to protect your credit during divorce.

To do something pro-active, financial experts stress education. Yu need to learn the ins and outs of credit lending and reporting. The family home is generally the largest asset that most people achieve in their life times. More often than not, men still feel like they get the short end of the financial stick in a divorce. It does not take long to screw up a good credit rating. It may take a very long time to rebuild a damaged credit score.

There are a few basic steps you can take to help lessen the financial pain.

. Consider tearing up all your cards.

. Do not pledge the credit of the other spouse.

. Do a creit check on yourself and you spouse, if he or she agrees.

The family home is all to often used as a huge ATM machine and couples often max it out during the marriage, leaving little equity to work with during separation and divorce. Necessity is the mother of invention, so be creative in your spending.

Consider paying off any vehicle loans as part of any house refinancing if possible. When starting anew, the fewer debts the better. Minimizing your debt is probably a good idea regardless of one’s marital status. If you are falling behind in bills, due to job loss or illness, do not avoid your creditors and try to work out arrangements. Unpaid debt, joint or individual, will be reported to the three national reporting agencies resulting in lower credit scores.

When the tough times hit, hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Take precautions to protect your credit and your good name. Regardless of a divorce, if there is joint debt - a mortgage, car loan or credit card — you are both on the hook to pay it off.

When couple fight, it is often about communication problems, sex or money; and for everything else, well, there is Master Card. Credit card debt is the major reason for bankruptcy filings in the United States. People often see plastic use as something different and unrelated to wealth and prosperity, often though, you can’t have one without the other.

If your spouse or ex files for bankruptcy, you should seek legal counsel to protect you rights as a creditor.