What should you reconsider after filing for divorce?
In Texas, there’s a 60-day “cool-off” period between the time you file a petition for a divorce and the time the court can grant it. The law is purposefully designed to give couples a chance to reconsider. Divorce is, after all, a big step and highly disruptive to the lives of everyone in the family.
So, if you’re one of the many people who have decided that January is the time to move forward with their divorce, should you reconsider your decision?
Here are some of the signs that your marriage really is over:
- You’d rather be alone than with your spouse. Maybe you can’t stand each other or maybe you just don’t interest each other anymore, but that’s a sure sign that neither of you is with the right person.
- Your picture of the ideal future doesn’t include your spouse. Maybe you’ve been living independent lives for a while now, or maybe you both have different dreams, but you can’t create a future together if you can’t even imagine it.
- You no longer feel bad about little lies or big decisions you make alone. Maybe you just no longer feel your spouse is entitled to know where you spend your time, so you keep secrets — or maybe you’ve just stopped consulting your spouse before major decisions. Either way, that’s a sign that you’re emotionally disconnected and no longer in a real partnership.
- You just don’t respect your spouse. It’s very hard to love someone that you can’t respect. If you find yourself thinking (or saying) derogatory things about your spouse on a regular basis, that’s a sign that you’ve grown contemptuous toward your spouse.
Adapting to the challenges of a divorce can be difficult — but the result is usually worth it. If you’re on the fence about getting a divorce, find out more about the process and what you can expect.