As families take down their Christmas lights, divorce attorneys' phones begin to light up like Christmas trees. Why? Because it's January, one of the busiest months for divorce filings.

Many unhappy spouses decide to hold off on their divorce until after the holidays. They do this for the sake of their kids or so everyone can have one last holiday season with their family intact.

Once New Year's Day passes, the champagne glasses are put away and squabbling spouses head straight to divorce court. If you are preparing yourself for the inevitable, here are a few things you can start doing to ensure you get a good start:

1. Gather your financial documents.
Start gathering (and copying) all of your financial documents, including statements for bank accounts and credit cards, mortgage loan papers, life insurance policies, investments, and taxes. If you try to get these later on, it can be difficult to get your hands on them.

2. Run your credit report.
It's wise to run your credit report and your spouse's, this way you can see which accounts are open and which ones are in both of your names.

3. Think twice before moving out.
If you have children and you want custody of them, you want to think twice about moving out and leaving them with your spouse. If you do move out, you're sending a strong message to the judge that your spouse is perfectly fit to care for the children, and it can be much harder to win a custody case.

4. Behave on social media.
Now that you're headed for divorce, you need to be on your best behavior on social media. Don't disparage your spouse, or discuss the divorce on Facebook. Don't post pics of you partying, with a new sweetheart, or of any big expenditures. If your spouse's divorce attorney can use it against you, they will find a way to do it.

Protect your rights by speaking with a divorce attorney sooner than later!