“Divorce is a process, not an event”
Personally, I have never been a victim of a divorce, but sadly, I know many
people that have. As it states in the textbook, Marriages, Family and Relationships,
divorce is becoming more common because it is more socially acceptable now as
opposed to in the past. In fact, one in eight marriages end in divorce. I was shocked to
find out that you don’t just “decide” to get divorced, but rather you go through a quite
lengthy process both emotionally and physically. Between legal paperwork, financial
costs and emotions of both you and your children, there’s a lot to deal with. I cringed
when I heard that the average divorce costs between $15,000 and $30,000!
Legally, divorce is filled with tons of paperwork and dealing with lawyers. The
legal steps of divorce seem to be very overwhelming, especially in addition to the high
emotions that already come with a divorce. First step is filing a petition, when both
members agree to getting divorced. Then, a step called “temporary orders”. This step is
when temporary custody and child support is discussed, just for throughout the divorce
process. “For example, if a stay at home mom files for divorce, she will need financial
support from her husband to continue paying the household bills”
(alllaw.com/articles/family/divorce/) After this step, the first spouse that filed for divorce,
needs to prove that the petition was signed by both parties. After that, you go onto the
negotiation step. This is when you negotiate all belongings, custody of children and child
support. In my opinion, this is one of the most important but emotional steps because you
are forced to agree on times to see your children and who will receive belongings that
you once both shared. This step can definitely bring up raw emotions. If both parties
cannot agree during the negotiation step, it will then go to trial and they will get a court
