Maybe you belong to a traditional religion and worry about what your community will think of you if you file for divorce. Perhaps you still want to hold out hope that you and your spouse can reconcile and make your relationship work.
No matter how bad things become, you just keep telling yourself to wait. They will file for divorce if it is really necessary to end the marriage. Otherwise, you intend to hang in there and try to make things work.
Some people remain trapped in unhealthy marriages for years longer than necessary because both of them wanted to wait for the other to file for divorce first. There are some very compelling reasons to make the first move when your marriage becomes truly unhappy.
You get to choose the timing
It could feel like a slap in the face if your ex serves you with divorce paperwork on your wedding anniversary or a painful burden to have to go to court on your birthday or a similar special day.
You have more control over the timing of your court proceedings when you are the one who decides when to file. You can also choose to file the divorce at a time when you know you can put your career on the back burner temporarily to resolve your family issues.
You can make sure you have the necessary paperwork
Property division requires a careful review of your financial circumstances and an understanding of your assets. You will need copies of income and tax records, as well as ownership paperwork for major assets and accounts. Your spouse might try to hide or alter certain records if they have time to prepare. When you file the initial divorce paperwork, you have an opportunity to collect the necessary paperwork before they might hide or manipulate anything.
You can prepare yourself mentally
Even if you firmly believe that divorce is the right choice, many people struggle emotionally after their spouse serves them with paperwork or broaches the topic. You will not have to go through as much emotional appeal if you are the one to file and have time to prepare yourself for the negative emotions that inevitably surface.
Taking the necessary steps to file for divorce can help put you in control of a stressful situation that will affect your life for years to come.