A divorce/separation can be financially devastating for one or both parties in the divorce/separation. Not only is a divorce expensive, but you may be moving from a two income household to a single income household. You may have relied solely on your spouse's income. Whether or not you earned a larger share of the income, having someone else pay for at least part of the expenses likely made a bigger difference than you may have realized. Add to that the possibility of paying child support and spousal maintenance and it is easy to see how you could get in over your head.  Bankruptcy may become your best option for a fresh start.