Most couples don’t consider a state’s divorce laws when they’re deciding where to live or buy a house. Statistically speaking, though, about half of those couples will be profoundly affected by the very regulations they’re choosing to ignore.

Almost every part of the divorce process is regulated, and every state has its own laws, making for many potential variations. If you are divorcing in New York, for example, your experience might be vastly different from those of your friends in Connecticut and New Jersey – even though you all live close enough to one another to meet weekly for lunch!