No matter what the circumstances, getting divorced can be difficult for anyone. Along with re-establishing separate personal lives, people must also create independent financial lives.

"All too often, couples who are considering a divorce don't realize how intertwined their finances really are," says Suzette Petit, a financial center manager with Fifth Third Bank. "Many have jointly held bank accounts, credit cards and assets, including their house and cars. Once the divorce is final and it has been determined who gets what, they have many financial matters to tend to." The following are some examples of things to consider after a divorce is final:

Bank accounts. People who had joint savings and checking accounts during their marriage should set up separate accounts. "I remind customers to transfer any payroll checks that are automatically deposited into bank accounts. And if they have monthly bills that are automatically deducted from checking accounts, such as a gym membership, they will need to transfer those as well," Petit says. "Also, if they paid bills online, they will need to set up a new system using their new account."

Credit cards. If a couple had jointly held credit cards with significant balances, they may want to seek legal advice on how those cards get paid. "If the debt is to be shared, each individual may transfer his or her portion of the balance to a new credit card in his or her name," Petit says. "If this is the case, they may want to look for a promotional card that offers a low interest rate for a fixed period of time."

With some credit cards, one spouse may have been the credit card owner and the other was an authorized user. "In these situations, the credit card owner may simply be able to call the credit card company to cancel the authorized user's privileges, however, this may vary between credit card issuers," Petit says.

The house. As part of the divorce agreement, a couple may have decided to sell their house and split the equity, or one spouse may have decided to remain in the home and refinance it in his or her name. "If one partner is no longer the owner of the home, he or she should not be on the deed for a variety of reasons," Petit explains.

Cars. A divorce agreement also determines who owns which cars. If cars were jointly owned, the couple should refinance and re-title them so the appropriate individual owns a car following the divorce. That way, if one partner does not make a payment, the other is not financially liable.

Beneficiaries. Many people listed their spouse as the beneficiary on their life insurance, retirement accounts and wills. A beneficiary is someone who is entitled to receive benefits or proceeds from an account or estate upon the owner's death. If beneficiaries aren't updated following a divorce, an ex-spouse could be entitled to the proceeds of these accounts - regardless of the deceased's true wishes.

Personalized help. "When contemplating a divorce, it is important to seek advice from an attorney, accountant, and a banker or financial advisor," Petit adds. "Many aspects of divorce depend on the couple's individual situation and on the laws of their state. Knowing what to expect before a divorce can help make this difficult time a little less trying."

For more information on finances after a divorce, contact Fifth Third at (866) 475-4201 or visit the Fifth Third Website.

Loans are subject to credit review and approval.