Divorce can be a complicated and emotional process. The process is often complicated because there are different parts to the divorce that you will experience at different times.
Divorce Process
The first step in the divorce process is making the emotional decision to leave your spouse. There is often a great deal of emotional work required to make this painful and difficult decision. For many people, the next part of a divorce that is experienced is the physical divorce. When you and your spouse separate and live in different places, you’ve begun the physical divorce. It takes time for this stage to settle in because the spouse who moved out of the marital home may need to return to get belongings and to divide household items throughout the divorce process and the months that follow it. The legal divorce is completed once you receive your divorce decree or judgment. Many people assume this is the end of the divorce, but there is often more to come.
Lingering Stages
Once you are legally divorced, you may still have things to work through to become completely free. The financial divorce happens after the legal divorce is completed, when all of your assets and debts are distributed in accordance with your divorce decree. If you have real estate that is being sold or a pension to divide, it may take many months for this to wrap up. The religious divorce is a process you may or may not decide to go through, but if you do, you will need to work with your church or temple to follow the necessary procedures. The emotional divorce is the most difficult to complete and it may take you months after your physical and legal divorce to finally feel you are truly and completely divorced.
If you’re considering divorce, call DeTorres & DeGeorge LLC for honest and straightforward advice. We are highly skilled in managing all aspects of the divorce process for you.