Going through a divorce does not simply involve separating physically from the person you married and continuing on with your life. Because there are many different aspects involved in a marriage, divorcing your spouse can be emotional, complicated, and stressful. Divorce is a major event in your life, and the breakdown of your relationship can feel like a loss in your life.
With that in mind, we at the Center for Divorce Solutions understand how difficult divorce can be and want to help you appreciate the significance of each stage of the divorce process. We also know that the stages of divorce for a woman may be slightly different than the stages of divorce for a man, but everyone will go through similar feelings and actions throughout the process.
The Stages of Grief in Divorce
The end of a long-term relationship like a marriage often triggers the onset of grief, and grief has a set of stages that most people will go through. These stages include
- Denial (“He’s just upset. He’ll be back.”)
- Anger (“I hate her!”)
- Bargaining (“If only I had spent more time with him, he wouldn’t have left.”)
- Depression (“I have no reason to go on.”)
- Acceptance (“Divorce truly was the best thing for this relationship and for me.”)
Everyone will experience grief differently and in no distinct order, but getting to acceptance will allow you to move on with your life.
The Emotional Stage of Divorce
One of the best parts of a marriage is the emotional connection you feel with your spouse throughout the relationship. Unfortunately, that emotional connection is what makes the divorce so difficult.
It is critical that couples are able to break the emotional bonds that have connected them for so long in the marriage so that they can grow as individuals and discover what the world has to offer outside of the marriage. This can be a very painful process but doing so is vital for the couple and for the legal and financial aspects of the divorce to move forward and become finalized.
The Legal Stages of Divorce
The legal part of the divorce process often involves lawyers, fighting, and hours spent in a courtroom. If one of the individuals in the marriage still has feelings for the other, the legal battle can be even more strenuous as it will not be limited to finances and child custody. At the Center for Divorce Solutions, we help couples have a kinder, gentler divorce by advocating for mediation to resolve disputes and end the marriage amicably.
The Financial Stages of Divorce
One of the most highly disputed and argument-inducing parts of the divorce process is the division of assets and finances. Most of the time this is where the lawyers will step in and argue for the partner they are representing. When money, real estate, or other financial property is at stake, this stage of divorce for men and women can be the most difficult. If possible, agreeing to mediation as a means of resolving the financial issues can help everyone involved move on more quickly and continue their lives more happily.
Acceptance of Divorce
Once the dust has settled on the financial matters, child custody, alimony, and emotional turmoil, the final stage of divorce for women and men can finally be achieved. Accepting the fact that the marriage is over and the emotional connection has been broken is not always easy, but acceptance allows each person to see themselves as individuals and discover what that means for themselves.
At the Center for Divorce Solutions, we want to help you have a kinder, gentler divorce and allow you to see that it is possible to go through the stages of divorce amicably. Mediation can be the way to resolve disputes without getting lawyers involved and without having a vicious legal battle. Contact us to find out more about divorce mediation.