What does it mean to recover after a divorce in Michigan, and what steps to you need to take in advance in order to get back on your feet once your divorce is finalized? An article in Psychology Today explains that recovery from a divorce can mean many different things, from financial recovery to emotional recovery. We want to discuss some steps for recovering from a divorce financially and psychologically, and to point out some particular considerations for divorce recovery after a long-term marriage ends.
Financial Recovery After Your Divorce
The best way to recover financially after your divorce is to plan ahead. For many parties in Michigan, this means taking the following steps:
- Creating a budget based on a single source of income;
- Documenting all marital property to ensure that all marital assets are divided properly in the divorce;
- Considering tax implications of property division, and carefully thinking about whether it makes sense to stay in a family home with a hefty mortgage; and
- Holding off on any major purchases or investments until you are able to get comfortable in a post-divorce financial routine.
Recovering Emotionally From a Divorce
Emotional recovery after a divorce can be a bit trickier, as the article suggests. To ensure a healthy emotional and psychological recovery from your divorce, you should consider the following:
- Find a way to accept that you are getting divorced, even if your spouse is the one who initiated it;
- Learn to reflect on your emotions, which may entail seeking therapy, finding a support group, or speaking with friends and family members;
- If possible, try to keep your divorce out of the courtroom to avoid contentious battles over property division, child custody, and other significant issues; and
- Think about forgiving your spouse for problems that arose in the marriage and for the divorce.
Recovering After a Long-Term Marriage That Ends in Divorce
If you are getting divorced after being married for multiple decades, you may have additional considerations that couples married for less time will not necessarily have to consider. As an article in MarketWatch emphasizes, financial recovery will likely be more complicated than it would be for other couples, especially if your divorce is happening as you are nearing the age of retirement or have retired recently. To recover financially, you may need to go back to work in order to replenish your retirement funds, and you will also need to make a plan for living on your own with a single income after decades of sharing expenses with your spouse.
Emotional recovery can be even more complicated for spouses when a divorce occurs after a long-term marriage. For many parties who were in long-term marriages, the dissolution of marriage can really feel akin to death. The loss of a spouse from divorce can result in a lengthy grieving process-which can certainly be true even when the marriage lasted less time-and it can be helpful to speak with a therapist about moving through the grief process in a productive way.
Contact a Divorce Lawyer in Michigan
Do you have questions about filing for divorce? An experienced divorce lawyer in Michigan at our firm can answer any questions you have today. Contact the Law Offices of Michael A. Robbins to speak with a divorce attorney about your case.