Are You Sure You Want a Divorce?

A child stressed about parents arguing in the background
Divorce isn’t something that anyone “wants” but it is frequently presented as a solution to insolvable marital issues. Divorce can be expensive, emotionally draining, and acrimonious. Sometimes divorce really is the best choice, but it is important to consider a few important factors when grappling with the decision to divorce
.     1.        What is your familial situation?
 If you have kids, divorce is by no means the end of communication with your spouse. It’s really the beginning of a whole new type of communication wherein you both are expected to navigate raising your children from a place of mutual understanding and respect. This can be incredibly difficult following a divorce. It is also important to think about the potential negative repercussions for your children if you of remain in a doomed marriage. What type of behavior is being modeled for your children? Are they witnessing severe arguing or a general sense of distain between you and your spouse? Divorce can be the best choice if children are being subjected to unhealthy emotional behavior.  Every child has different needs so it is important to assess in advance how to best support your children and their relationship with the other parent before actually getting divorced. 
2.         Have you sincerely tried to fix the problem(s)?
 Have you and your spouse attended marriage counseling? If not, that is a great place to start. It is also very important to recognize that the issues in a marriage are never entirely one person’s fault. To varying degrees, you both have inevitably contributed to the issues you face today. Taking responsibility for you actions and being accountable for your behavior in the future is the only healthy way to move forward, divorce or not. Do not leave stones unturned that you may regret later.
3          How will you handle the aftermath?
 How will divorce impact your financial situation? Here it is crucial to understand your legal rights in regards to child support and spousal maintenance. Do you and your spouse share debt? How will this be divided? In the scenario of divorce, can either of you afford to remain the family home? What does this mean for your children or schools? Do you and your potential ex spouse have similar values regarding the quality of childcare and education? Public or private school? Nanny or daycare?
This list is not exhaustive and every situation presents its own unique challenges but these are just a few fundamental questions to ask yourself if divorce is something you’re considering.

 Contact Elise Buie Family Law Group, PLLC if you would like to discuss your divorce options or your “stay together” options as well.

STAY UP TO DATE

Subscribe to our newsletters

 
Subscribe to one or more of our newsletters, delivering meaningful insight on topics that matter to you and your family.
ebl home subscribe image

FURTHER READING

Latest Blog Posts

Child support is one of the most contentious issues in divorce cases where parties have minor children. Even though Washington state law uses the same complex mathematical formula to determine the amount of child support for each child, there is…

Family law and estate planning often intersect. This is particularly true when contemplating divorce, remarriage, or blending families.

At some point during your divorce case, friends and family members whose own marriages ended in divorce probably told you that it gets better, and it does. Of course, from your perspective, getting out of a bad marriage might be…

Co-parenting over a long distance when you are a non-residential parent does not have to equate to sacrificing involvement in your children’s lives. But it likely does mean you will have to make tweaks in your communication and parenting style to accommodate the new living arrangement.

If you have a significant amount of money saved, you might be considering giving some of it away while you are still alive via what is known in estate planning jargon as a living inheritance. Depending on your desires, you can give your beneficiaries a portion of or all of the inheritance you intend to give them.

Estate planning is commonly associated with preparing for asset distribution and financial management in the event of the estate plan owner’s incapacitation or death. However, an estate plan can protect more than just people and what they have worked so hard during their lifetimes to build. A carefully crafted Washington state estate plan can also protect pets.

Despite being divorced, you may still be able to collect social security benefits through your ex-spouse. Even if you went through a high-conflict divorce or are not on good terms with your ex-spouse currently, they cannot stop you from collecting these benefits if you are eligible. Likewise, your ex-spouse does not need to permit you to apply for social security benefits or have previously completed an application themselves.

If you live in Washington State and have an estranged family member, are you worried about them contesting your will after you die? Well, don’t worry quite yet. There are a variety of criteria an individual must meet to contest a will in the state of Washington.

Depending on your situation, there might also be measures you can take as you revisit your existing estate plan or create a new one to cause them to think twice about doing so. Here is what you need to know about whether an estranged family member can contest a will in Washington state.

When parents go through a divorce, child custody can be one of the hardest issues to deal with. But increasingly in American households, pets are part of the family, and separating can create similar concerns over who gets the family pet.

As a Seattle entrepreneur, you’ve undoubtedly dedicated countless hours and resources to building a successful business. You’ve dotted all of your I’s and crossed all of your T’s. But have you considered what will happen to your business after you're…