10 Crucial Questions To Ask Yourself Before Getting A Divorce

Here's one question you should never ask someone who's separating from their spouse: "Have you really thought this through?"

You can be sure they've given it plenty of thought. Few people take the decision to leave a marriage lightly, and the move to actually file for divorce oftentimes comes months, even years after the initial separation.

HuffPost Divorce readers will tell you as much. Below, they share the one question they gave the most thought to before going forward with the divorce.

1. "Do I honestly see myself spending the rest of my life with this person as my companion?"

2. "Is staying together more harmful than good, for us and for the kids?"

3. "Am I capable of taking the high road in this divorce? (The answer is always yes.)"

4. "Have I truly exhausted every effort to try to make it work?"

5. "Am I sure the problem isn't me, and that I won't just repeat this situation all over again with someone else?"

6. "What's the most civil way I can go about this divorce, for myself and the kids?"

7. "Am I OK possibly spending the rest of my life alone?"

8. "Am I modeling the kind of relationship I want my child to be in eventually through this marriage?"

9. "Am I holding on because I love him or her or am holding on because I'm afraid to be alone?"

10. "Is there anything I can do to improve this marriage?"

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Divorce on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our newsletter here.