Getting a divorce isn’t easy, and nobody would pretend otherwise. With that being said, a divorce does not have to be as difficult as they often end up being. A major issue that crops up with divorces is less the fact that divorce lawyers don’t know what they’re doing — as good divorce attorneys rarely misstep — and more that the right divorce lawyers aren’t called in the first place. There’s a lot of misinformation present regarding divorce. One of the worst pieces of misinformation out there is the idea that you can go through a divorce without divorce lawyers on hand. The fact is that no matter how amicable you think your divorce will be, an attorney can always help. After all, there are many different aspects involved in getting a divorce — and the longer your marriage lasted, the more you’ll have to deal with throughout the divorce. So why is it that so many people neglect to contact the divorce lawyers they need? Well, it unfortunately has a lot to do with how taboo the subject of divorce remains — despite how common it really has become. Let’s draw the curtain back on divorce, and be honest about how you can be smart about it, should it happen to you. Divorce isn’t the end of the world — there’s certainly life beyond it.
Divorce: How Common Is It?
You probably know, in theory, that divorce is more common than its taboo nature would imply. However, there’s a big difference between theory and reality. There’s no reason for anyone to be ashamed of divorce — in part because of its deeply personal nature, and in part because it simply isn’t as rare as it once was. It’s not that more marriages are necessarily failing; it’s more that people feel like they can make the choices for themselves that they really need to. The Census Bureau now estimates that 40 to 50% of all first marriages will end in divorce, and 60% of second marriages will have the same endings. This comes out to a divorce every 36 seconds, 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 per week, and 876,000 divorces per year. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A marriage ending doesn’t have to be an ending; it could just as easily be a new beginning that someone really needs.
How Divorce Works: Why Does It Happen?
Why is that so many people are getting divorced? Again, it’s very likely that the issues that lead to divorce have always existed. It’s just that only more recently have people felt comfortable enough to get the divorces they need without fearing serious judgment. Many times, people leave marriages simply due to the fact that they no longer love their spouse. While marriage counseling is right for some people, it’s not right for everyone. Nobody should have to stay in a loveless marriage for any reason. Some people leave marriages to save their own lives. Domestic violence has always existed — the fact that people now feel comfortable in leaving through divorce is a good thing, not a bad one.
Getting Divorced: What To Consider
There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when getting divorced. The most important one for couples with minor children is custody. A child custody attorney sometimes handles divorces in general, and sometimes focuses specifically on custody. Of course, with custody comes child support. Child support often isn’t paid, unfortunately — it’s believed it totaled $100 billion, including arrears, in 2011. Custodial parents not only deserve child support, but often need it to survive. With a satisfactory custody arrangement and child support paid on time, divorced parents can hopefully maintain amicable relationships while raising happy and healthy children.
Whether you have children or not, and whether or not your relationship with your former spouse is amicable, take advantage of your right to an attorney during divorce proceedings. It could save you both time and money — as well as some heartache.
