When you’re angry, unhappy or in the middle of a spat with your spouse, it’s easy to think about what life might be like if you were single again – but are you really ready to make that leap?
While it’s never easy to make the decision to divorce, couples who have been together for a long time may find it even harder to disrupt the status quo and turn the life they’ve built upside down. Should you really call it quits, or just call a marriage counselor? How do you know?
Sign that your marriage really has failed
Every situation is different. Maybe you’re always fighting with your spouse over next-to-nothing, or maybe you’ve both fallen into a stony silence toward each other as you emotionally detach. While neither situation is good, they also don’t (necessarily) mean that your marriage is beyond saving.
Instead, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you hiding who you really are? If you can’t trust your spouse with your feelings and the “real you,” you probably shouldn’t be in the marriage any longer. You have to be able to live an authentic life.
- Does everything come before your spouse? If your work, your kids, your parents, your pets and your hobbies all have more interest for you than your spouse, that’s a good sign that you’ve moved in different directions. You may simply have little in common anymore.
- Are you willing to accept the consequences of your decision? If you divorce, that means changes in your living situation, your support system, your finances and more. You need to do some deep thinking and see how the thought settles with you. If you’re more excited than afraid, you’re probably ready to end your marriage.
No matter what your circumstances, you don’t want to take these steps alone – or blindly. Legal guidance can help you plan your next move and make sure that your divorce goes as smoothly (and fairly) as possible.