7 Reasons You Can’t Afford NOT To Get Divorced

Unfortunately some couples stay in toxic unhappy marriages due to the cost of divorce. This can create extreme stress within the home and needless to say isn’t great for either party.

It must be noted that not all ‘uncoupling’ needs to necessarily cost that much, for instance mediation is a great cost effective pathway to take as is DIY Family Law.

The following excerpt by Jason Levoy via the huffintonpost.com outlines 7 reasons why you can’t afford to wait and you should get divorced now:

1. You know there is no chance of reconciliation. Nobody knows your situation better than you. I always encourage couples to go to therapy and work on their marriage. But, sometimes it doesn’t work. Maybe you tried, maybe you didn’t. You know if there is a chance the marriage can be saved. If it can’t, don’t waste anymore time and start the process of moving on.

2. Each year you wait could mean a costlier divorce for you. Let’s say you are the financial provider for the family. Each year you wait to file for divorce could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. You have to check what the laws are in your state.

3. You find that your physical health is suffering. I’m not a doctor, but I have heard it over and over…stress is not good for your health. I know when I’m stressed, I’m not at my best physical form. If you find that you too are suffering physical ailments, it’s time to consider what’s causing them and how to make it better. You may be thinking that you can wait another year, but what if your body can’t?

Related Article: 5 Ways To Reduce Stress During A Divorce

4. You are depressed. Be honest with yourself. Are you depressed? And if the answer is yes, do you know what the root cause is? If you don’t (and most people don’t have the introspective ability to figure this out) I encourage you to get some professional help. I always tell clients going through a divorce that they should be in therapy. You need an objective outlet to talk about everything and your lawyer, if you have one, is not that person.

5. You know the divorce would be amicable. Not all divorces have to be knock out, drag out battle royals. Some couples agree that it isn’t working out and want to move on without spending all their resources on attorneys and court battles. In these situations, a divorce can happen both quickly and cheaply. Remember, fighting=$$$ in a divorce. The more everyone agrees on who gets what, the quicker you two can move on.

6. There is no marital home to divide. Do you own a home with your spouse? If not, it may be the right time to get divorced. A marital residence is probably the most complicated asset to divide in a divorce. One spouse may want to stay in the house while the other wants to sell it and take the equity. If there is disagreement, this will prolong the process and add to the cost to resolve it. If you don’t own a home during the marriage, getting divorced will be easier.

7. You are employed and have a steady income. I mentioned this at the beginning…divorce is expensive, especially if it’s contested. Everything is harder if you’re unemployed and don’t have an income. If you are the financial provider, a court may impute an income to you if you are unemployed during the divorce. There are a lot of factors that a court considers when dealing with an unemployed spouse. You may want to consider waiting until you are employed before filing.