What emotions should you expect after divorce?

 Posted on September 15, 2020 in Divorce

Finding out that your spouse filed for divorce is sometimes expected, but other people are blindsided by the filing. Regardless of which category you fall into, there are some points that you should be prepared for when you’re undergoing this major life change.

Many people think about the legal matters they’ll face. These include property division and child custody, but they might not realize that they’re also going to be dealing with some major emotions as they go through this.

The emotional stages of divorce include:

• Denial: You might pretend that everything is great with your life and ignore the fact that you’re divorcing.
• Anger: You’ll likely be upset at your spouse for what they did that contributed to the end of the marriage — even things that really didn’t matter.
• Bargaining: You may think about what you can do to repair the marriage, and some individuals will act on those thoughts.
• Depression: You may become very sad and start to think about the time you wasted during the marriage, and you might realize that you’re alone now.
• Acceptance: You’re finally emotionally healed from the divorce, but those other previous emotions might creep up from time to time.

You might waiver among these stages. In fact, you may experience sadness and similar emotions off and on while you adjust to single life. Things that bring up memories of your marriage, such as favorite holidays, might cause these feelings even if you’re happy that the marriage ended.

It’s imperative that you find a balance between your emotions and the legal aspects of the divorce. You should be able to make logical decisions about the matters that will impact your future, but your emotions might come in the way of this. Working closely with your attorney will help you as you determine what’s in your best interests.