No one enters into a marriage with the ability to see whether that union will end in divorce or with the death of one spouse after decades of happiness. In the same manner, no spouses are able to predict how they will react to divorce once the ink has dried and the papers have all been filed. For many, periods of grief follow the ends of Florida marriages, and this is a perfectly normal reaction to the close of a chapter in an individual’s life. For many, the best way to ease the grief is to take the appropriate preventative steps during the divorce itself.
Spouses who are able to negotiate a favorable division of marital wealth are in a good position to address their emotional needs once the marriage has ended. For example, a spouse who was able to retain enough liquid assets to fund a solid savings account will have access to funding for short-term counseling, if that need should arise. He or she would also be able to focus on the grieving process, rather than on worrying about how the bills will get paid during any given month.
Just as with the loss of a loved one, the grieving process that accompanies a divorce is unique for every individual. There is no way to place a time limit on that process, nor is it healthy to try to do so. By accepting that there will be lingering sadness about the divorce for some time after both parties have moved on, individuals can give themselves the time and emotional space needed to work through their own feelings.
Spouses who are able to eliminate debt and set aside savings buffers are in far better positions to handle grief than those who are living in financially precarious positions following the ends of their marriages. This means that every Florida spouse who is preparing to divorce should make it a priority to negotiate the best possible division of assets. Doing so often means that individuals can focus on moving forward without having the distraction of financial strain.
Source: The Huffington Post, “The Truth About Moving On From Your Ex After Divorce“, Brittany Wong, Nov. 11, 2015
