Whether you are happily married now, or hoping to be one day, there’s one topic you’d probably rather not think about: divorce. Yet, most of us know at least one wedded couple who has split up. And then there’s that ominous 50 percent statistic, which often scares us into believing that a marriage’s survival is as subject to chance as whether a coin will flip heads or tails.

In fact, this 50/50 buzz-phrase may not even be accurate, Time magazine reports, noting how difficult it is to even track divorce stats. Time cites a University of Pennsylvania study’s conclusion that the age at which a person marries can be a better predictor of the relationship’s success. The study found that 81 percent of college graduates who wed during the ’80s, at age 26 or older, were still married 20 years later — the number decreased to 65 percent for college grads who married before age 26.

But, no matter the risk, it never hurts to be prepared if you do happen to find yourself in the midst of a legal split. And navigating the situation unbiasedly can be difficult, as your emotions affect the ability to make critical decisions.Read more: Separation and Divorce – How to Have a Friendly Divorce at WomansDay.com – Woman’s Day