Are You Sure About Getting Divorced?
It’s one of the biggest decisions of your life: getting a divorce. There are problems in your marriage, that’s for sure. But is there a route to happiness short of ending the marriage? Perhaps now, before going all the way, you should consider some questions in an attempt to bring clarity to the moment.
- Do you still love your partner, but feel disconnected, frustrated with the level of intimacy, or otherwise stuck in neutral?
- Are you serious about divorce, or are you using the threat as a cudgel to get your spouse to conform to your wishes? Do frenzied disagreements lead to such anger and frustration that you resort to coercive behavior in order to manipulate, achieve a power imbalance, or otherwise attempt to get your spouse to take your views seriously?
- Is divorce the best solution for your problems? You’re looking at disrupting your life in ways ranging from parenting to economics and lifestyle. Have you thought carefully about what divorce will mean, both in the short- and long-term?
- Are you getting a divorce based on your spouse’s wishes or on your own? Are you clinging to the comfort of the known and avoiding fears of the unknown, or are you carefully weighing your options and looking for ways to improve the level of satisfaction in your life?
- Are you placing the blame for marital dysfunction at the feet of your spouse, or are you sharing in responsibility for the issues? Are you more focused on feelings of bitterness and vengefulness than you are on constructing a happier reality for yourself and your family? If so, will that hostility color your ability to be balanced and fair in a divorce proceeding? Is that who you want to be?
- Are you reacting to stressors from an emotional perspective, or have you been able to logically consider and weigh the situation?
- In contemplating divorce, what is your end game? Do you truly hope to enjoy a new life that is essentially independent of your former spouse, or are you counting on changes from your spouse, who you hope will realize the foolishness of their actions and will pursue you with promises of improvements?
- Have you carefully weighed the consequences of a divorce, and are you truly ready to accept them? Can you handle the changes to your finances, lifestyle, and the impacts on your children?
- Are you capable of working with your former spouse to ensure your children enjoy a healthy relationship with both parents by cooperating to create a positive parenting plan?
- Are you unsafe in your marriage?
Getting it Right
The dedicated Springfield divorce attorneys at Courtney & Mills are dedicated to helping you get the divorce settlement that works for you whenever you are ready. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Springfield office today.
Source:
courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=92713
