It's been a while since we looked at divorce, so I figure we can look at it again here. Earlier this week we saw some information about the increase in domestic abuse cases and the same is true with relationships as people were thrust into situations where breathing space was limited. If a relationship is in stress already, imagine the impact of not being able to take some time apart / get out of the house for some time to regroup.
It's sad. I believe you have to do everything you can to try to live up to the commitment pledged, but sometimes that simply can't work and divorce is needed. When you are at that final stage, I can only pray that the split isn't contentious, because that can simply make life miserable for those who have to not only deal with the grief of a marriage and family breaking up, but also deal with fears and worries about a person's future state financially, or emotionally if children are being weaponized in the battle.
Financially we often look at assets and support, but we don't always things about benefits. In this article on Fedweek.com, the author walks through what happens to one's benefits when divorce, separation or annulment. Benefits are one of those elements that people may neglect to address ahead of time and then leave oneself uncovered by health insurance or people may not update life insurance policies and beneficiaries, etc. Take a look - definitely worth a read.
Emotional Steps in Divorce
This law firm in St. Louis did a nice job of labeling 5 emotional stages when going through a divorce. After having gone through one, I can certainly relate to this 5-stager. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. If you have friends going through this (and chances are you do - even if you don't know about it), then it's worth a read to understand how you can help based on where they might be on the emotion journey.
DivorceMag.com Resources For Those Going Through Divorce
Got a friend dealing with a relationship on the rocks? Dealing with it yourself? Currently in a divorce, this page has a TON of helpful links especially when considering the pandemic timeframe. Send your friend here if you think they may need some help from emotional / mental health information to specific tactical information. If there's no hope to salvage the relationship, then being informed is a great way to empower oneself.
