If there is anything to be learned from being married before it is that marriage is not all about hearts and flowers and good times. Hopefully your past experiences have given you the knowledge and foresight to realize you need to look out for your best interests. After the ceremony, you will be back to normal, right? But what will normal be now? If either you or your fiancé have children, that normal will involve stepparents, kids, and the blending of finances.

Is there anything I should do to protect my assets in case something should happen with this marriage? Only a professional family law attorney can answer specific questions and ensure you are protecting yourself and, more importantly, your children when you remarry, so please consult one in regard to your questions. You may need to consider items such as prenuptial agreements, wills, real estate, credit, spousal support, and custody issues. Get these things in order before you walk down the aisle.

I am unsure about what to do with my name. Should I leave it so that my children and I have the same name, change back to my maiden name, or take my husband's name? This is a common question with many possibilities, all affected by each individual situation. One option is to change your name to your new husband's name and deal with explaining the situation when people ask why your children have a different name; in today's world it's likely that no one will even notice. You can also keep your ex's name — at least legally — because it seems to be easier when you and your kids have the same last name. If this is your choice, you can still use your husband's name in social situations. In some rare cases, if the children's father is agreeable to it, you can change your name back to your maiden name and hyphenate it with your ex's name and then change your children's names to reflect this as well.

How do we decide what my future stepchildren should call me? Most likely, the children have already met you, and they have probably also decided on what they are going to call you. To avoid any uneasy feelings or confusion from too much change at one time, let the kids go ahead and continue to call you whatever they called you prior to the wedding. If they choose to change that later, discuss it then.