The Day you Decide to Divorce (3) By Dr. Michael Brooks
I have spoken to several clients who are just fed up with the state of their marriages, and out frustration, are angry that no changes are happening. What do they do? Many just go and file for divorce. Their done and have felt they have given it they’re all. They have talked, begged, and pleaded with their spouse’s, to get help for their marriage and go to counseling with them. Many divorces that happen are done out of spite or ignorance. There are many well thought out divorces, and they have all their ducks in a row. They have done all their research, and emotionally they are ready, come hell or high water. The best advice I can give you is to explore ALL your options. Look at the pro’s and cons and the ramifications of what your divorce will do to you, and to your kid’s.
Death Of A Marriage
Seriously, it’s up to you to do your homework and see what you can do to figure out all options. You have several areas that you must consider before filing. What will happen to your children? Living arrangements (where will you live)? Will you need to sell your home and move to an apartment? What about your finances, child custody arrangements, retirement plans, friends, etc? There is so much to consider in your divorce process.
Take some time just by yourself and reflect on why you want a divorce? Ask yourself, what will a divorce do for you? This will give you some insight on your next steps. I had a client do this, and she called me thanking me for giving her this advice. She took some time off of work and sat down at the kitchen table and put pen to paper and came up with several solutions and decided which one would work best for her. She struggled with her emotional feelings about her husband, and her children, but she came to the conclusion that she would give counseling one more try. She sat down with her husband and shared with him her thoughts on divorce and what they could do to avoid it. They both came up with a plan and made it work. I know many people who get divorced cannot stand their spouses and want out of their marriage and have come to that conclusion with no hesitation. All I’m asking is for you to get alone by yourself and pray, think and have facts before you decide. This will help you make a wise decision for your future.
How many people do you think want to get a divorce for one or more of the following reasons.
- Marital unfaithfulness, habitual cheater
- Emotional affairs, the internet, texting, and phone
- No longer in love
- Finances
- Step-children
- In-laws
- Drugs and alcohol addictions
- Roommate relationships
- Poor communication
- Trust issues
- Disrespect and verbal abuse
This certainly could be a very long list if we added some of your reasons. Now looking at this list, how many of the reasons listed above could be helped with counseling/coaching? I would say most under the right conditions. Some people see no help in trying to restore their marriage relationship. They have decided to give up no matter who tries to talk to them. They have been burned and want out.
If you have decided to divorce and there is no turning back, I have advice for you. Have a plan before committing to divorce. Make sure that you understand the laws of your state and what has to take place. Seek good counsel with a plan that allows you to be fair and not vengeful towards your soon to be ex. If you have children involved in your divorce, make sure that you’re respectful towards your spouse. Even in divorce you can show mercy and be fair without pounding your soon to be ex into the ground. Bitterness can and will drag you down and make you feel worthless in public opinion. So, avoid getting even or revenge on your soon to be ex. You have to be above board when dealing with your ex and their lawyer. The more fighting you do between each other and through your lawyers in the long run will be costing big bucks. Trust me on this!
Ask yourself these questions; am I filing because I’m angry and doing it out of spite? Have I thought through all my options of trying to save the marriage before I file? What are the real reasons I’m filing? Have I tried marriage counseling/coaching with my spouse? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then give Dr. Mike a call he can help with this difficult process of deciding on your next steps and what to do. Call him at 303.880.9878
Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Skype (if you want to Skype with Dr. Mike send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did! You can call him at 303.880.9878