Not every marriage lasts until death, as Oklahoma City divorce lawyers Strange Law would tell you. Some marriages are cut short even sooner than you might expect.
In many locales, a short-term marriage is one that lasts less than five years, and while ending a marriage sooner rather than later can save on some headaches, it’s still a decision that you shouldn’t take lightly. If you’re considering ending your marriage a bit sooner than expected, be sure you take the following into consideration first.
Preparing for Divorce
The first question that most people need to ask themselves before making such a grave decision is, “am I better off staying married or getting divorced?” The answer, of course, lies within, and only you can determine if the time is right or not, but there are some additional queries you might pose to yourself to gain some insight:
- Have you exhausted what you can put into sustaining your marriage?
- Are you lacking critical emotions like forgiveness towards your partner?
- Do you feel indifferent about your partner and their actions?
- Does your relationship lack the intimacy it once had?
- Has your partner exhibited a history of abuse, addiction, etc.?
Once you’ve considered whether divorce is an action that you should undertake, you can start making further preparations, but you’ll still want to take some other details into consideration in order to safeguard your wellbeing and best interests:
- Have you made attempts to see a therapist?
- How will you support yourself financially following your divorce?
- Do you have a support network to lean on?
- Will you be in potential physical or financial jeopardy because of your decision?
- Will you be able to live in the same house with your spouse during the divorce?
- Will you need an attorney to assist with the process?
- How will you provide for your children during and after your divorce?
With these questions answered, you’ll need to perform one of the most difficult parts of divorce next: emotionally disengaging so that you can dissolve your relationship while keeping your wits about you. During the time ahead, you won’t be able to rely on your partner for emotional support as you did in the past.
It will be important for you to keep a level head so that you can traverse this new territory in your life, so you might want to lean more on your friends and family than anything else. Throughout everything set clear and reasonable expectations for yourself and your spouse, and be sure to take the time you need to work through the many emotions that you’re more than likely going to be feeling.
