If you are considering or are facing a divorce – that perhaps you don’t want – you may see no bright side, but the fact is that, ultimately, you will get past this transition, and there is a very good chance that you’ll be pleasantly surprised by your post-divorce future.
A better understanding of the ins and outs of a Texas divorce can help you get a better feel for the pros of divorce that you may not see at the moment. One of the most important first steps that anyone in your difficult position can take is reaching out for the skilled legal representation of an experienced Round Rock divorce attorney.
If You’re Considering a Divorce
When you married, divorce was the furthest thing from your mind, but if you find yourself considering the possibility now, there’s a reason. To begin, it may be a wake-up call that affords you the advance warning you need to take action now – before the point of no return is reached.
If you haven’t tried everything you can to save your marriage thus far, now is a good time to get started. Options include:
Spending more time together
Finding a hobby that interests both of you and give it a whirl
Revisiting what brought you together as a couple in the first place
Sharing your feelings more clearly with one another
Attending couple’s counseling
Seeking the guidance of a trusted clergy member
If you and your spouse are both interested in taking steps forward, it’s a very good sign that you have the tools necessary to strengthen your marriage.
If Your Efforts Are Getting You Nowhere
If you have taken steps to strengthen your relationship with your spouse but are getting nowhere and nagging doubts continue to plague you, it’s time to consider the possibility of divorce.
An important move you can make at this point is consulting with a dedicated divorce attorney about what a divorce is likely to mean for you in relation to your unique circumstances and in the context of primary divorce terms, including all the following:
Child custody arrangements, including parental responsibilities and parenting time
The division of marital property
Alimony – or spousal maintenance
If Your Spouse Has Filed for Divorce
If your spouse wants a divorce and you don’t, you don’t have a lot of options, and seeking skilled legal representation at this juncture is paramount. If your spouse has made up their mind, you’re unlikely to sway them in a different direction, and you will need to ask yourself if you would really want to do that.
At this stage, it’s important to focus on protecting your parental and financial rights moving forward and to recognize that divorce is not all doom and gloom. You have been given the opportunity to move ahead with purpose and to make the most of your future, and your focused divorce attorney can play an important role in the process.
The Good News
According to Gitnux’s 2024 report, statistics related to post-divorce happiness are trending upwards. In fact, a full 79 percent of those who are divorced find that their post-divorce lives are an improvement. Consider the following happiness highlights:
Two years after their divorces are finalized, more than 50 percent of people report feeling happier.
More than half of both divorced men and women report experiencing increased self-esteem post-divorce.
Almost 60 percent of divorced people find that their lives are more satisfying three years after the fact.
About 61 percent of divorced people find love again within the first year of divorce.
About 77 percent of divorced people find that the heartbreak involved helped them grow emotionally.
A full 70 percent of divorced parents find that they’re better equipped to effectively co-parent post-divorce.
Approximately 74 percent of divorced people experience a sense of liberation and relief post-divorce.
About 68 percent of divorced individuals are confident in their ability to successfully maintain a romantic relationship post-divorce.
None of this is to say that divorce isn’t an emotional journey that involves considerable loss, including the loss of the hopes and dreams you harbored when you married. These statistics do, however, help to point out that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that you shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that happiness is out there.
Putting Everything in Perspective
Yes, divorce is emotionally challenging, and it’s going to take considerable time and effort to get to the good part, but putting off the inevitable isn’t going to get you there any sooner. Many people who are facing divorce consider the wasted years involved, but this isn’t an accurate interpretation.
You were married, and during that time, you grew. While you may not have grown closer to your spouse, you shouldn’t look at divorce as voiding everything you learned about life, about the world, and about yourself during your marriage as a waste.
If You Share Children
Further, if you and your spouse share children, your life is forever changed for the better, and this is something that divorce can’t mar. You and your spouse are parents together forever more, and many people find that they parent together more effectively after divorce, which is a definite plus.
Your Parental and Financial Rights
Once you determine that you need a divorce – or your spouse serves you with divorce papers – it’s time to concentrate on protecting your parental and financial rights, which means focusing on the terms of divorce and how they’ll be resolved.
Protecting your rights on this side of divorce will help bolster your post-divorce future, which makes retaining practiced legal counsel early in the process key.
Your Divorce
The way you approach your divorce can have an immense impact on how it is resolved. For example, hitting your spouse with divorce papers out of the blue may set the stage for a battle royal when that is the last thing you want.
A better approach is taking the emotional temperature of your relationship and choosing the best path forward – when all the options are admittedly less than optimal. If you can keep your divorce from becoming an all-out fight, it serves everyone’s best interests, and this includes your children.
While divorcing couples rarely agree on every topic and treat each other with utmost respect throughout the process, there is a continuum, and staying on the more peaceful side of things tends to pay off in the long run.
No-Fault Divorce
In the State of Texas, the vast majority of divorces are no-fault, which means they’re based on insupportability – or what most people think of as irreconcilable differences. Nevertheless, Texas does offer divorces that are based on fault grounds, such as adultery and cruelty.
If you pursue a divorce based on fault, you can expect it to be more hostile, more costly, and more time-consuming. To obtain a fault-based divorce, you’ll need to prove your spouse’s wrongdoing, which means your case will very likely be resolved in court.
With a no-fault divorce, you help to turn the temperature down on potential drama, and you set the course for a straightforward divorce process – to the degree possible. While your no-fault divorce can still end up in court and can devolve into a War of the Roses, you have a better chance of keeping things civil, which is generally a good plan.
All of this said, it’s important to make the following three points:
Sometimes, a fault-based divorce is legally advisable, and your knowledgeable divorce attorney will help you make the right strategic decisions for you.
Even in a no-fault divorce, the matter of fault can play a role. For example, if your spouse was spending lavishly on a romantic partner who wasn’t you, this fact can affect the division of your marital property.
If your spouse is bound and determined to make your divorce as difficult as they possibly can, cutting your losses and heading to court may be your best possible option.
In the end, divorce is all about balancing a wide range of factors that directly affect your own and your children’s best interests. To make things even more challenging, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy that works well for everyone. Seeking trusted legal counsel early in the process is the surest means of protecting your rights.
Uncontested Divorce
If you and your divorcing spouse are able to keep your case out of court, it’s an uncontested divorce, and to manage this, you’ll need to resolve each of the applicable divorce terms between yourselves. This doesn’t mean that you’ll need to agree with one another on each primary topic magically, but you will need to find a way to reach an agreement on each.
Which can include all the following:
Negotiating between yourselves – with the skilled legal counsel of your respective divorce attorneys behind you
Allowing your respective divorce attorneys to negotiate specific sticking points on behalf of each of you
Availing yourself of an alternative dispute option, such as mediation – at which a professional mediator will help you, your divorcing spouse, and your respective divorce attorneys find a middle ground by exploring your full range of options in the context of your unique case
Divorcing couples generally prefer to resolve the terms of their divorce between themselves – regardless of how far apart they may be on the main issues. Giving up primary decision-making power to the judge hearing your case – who, in the scheme of things, knows very little about your unique situation – can be a difficult pill to swallow, and it can help even the worthiest opponents find common ground.
FAQ
If you’re in the difficult position of contemplating or facing a divorce, the answers to the following frequently asked questions may help.
How do I know if divorce is right for me?
Only you know whether or not divorce is the right option for you, and making this decision can take a considerable amount of soul-searching. However, if you are on the fence regarding the topic, it means that there’s a possibility that your marriage can be saved, and exploring that possibility is well worth the effort.
How can I know what divorce will mean for me?
There is no way to know what the terms of your divorce will be until they are written in your final divorce papers. However, savvy divorce attorneys have the experience and legal insight to afford their clients a clearer perspective in relation to what divorce is likely to mean for them.
Are there any guarantees that I won’t regret my divorce after the fact?
After living through the ups and downs of life, you very likely know that there are no guarantees. Statistics heartily support positive divorce outcomes, and there is no reason to believe that your divorce won’t lead to similar results.
If you’re considering a divorce, you’re doing so for a reason, and you may find that you are holding yourself back from the happiness you seek.
An Experienced Round Rock Divorce Attorney Is on Your Side
Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard is an accomplished Round Rock divorce attorney who appreciates exactly how difficult the prospect of divorce can be. His compassionate approach to divorce may help you better understand your situation and give you the strength to make the right decisions.
Your future is waiting for you, so don’t hesitate to contact us or call us at 254-781-4222 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about what we can do to help you today.