SEATTLE -- Let's face it, divorce happens. As you prepare to go your separate ways, you need to separate your credit card accounts.

Get a complete picture of your debt by getting copies of your credit reports. See which accounts are individual and which are joint.

"Then what you need to do is take the joint accounts and you need to close them," said Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.Com.

He says both of you are responsible for joint accounts even when the marriage ends.

"Your mate could be running up all sorts of credit card bills and you are financially responsible for them," Hardekopf said.

He suggests you pay off your credit card debt before the divorce is final -- even if you have to sell marital assets.

"If you still have debt left, that means the account is still open and you want to do everything you can to close that account and really be done with that account and get on to opening your own individual account as a single person," he said.

If you cancel the account by phone, you should follow-up with a registered letter so you can prove what you did.

Credit Cards During a Divorce -- www.lowcards.com