Your divorce decree is final, and you are starting to look at how your new life will work. When beginning divorce proceedings, many people do not fully understand how divorce will change their lives. While an attorney can help you obtain a fair and equitable settlement, life will be quite different post-divorce when the decree is finalized.
In many cases, everything in people’s lives changes after a divorce: where they live; how they relate to friends, family, children and co-workers; how their finances are managed; and even how they perceive themselves. Day-to-day tasks, such as maintaining the car, shopping, banking, and even taking care of pets, all take on new dimensions.
Some Guidelines for Addressing Your New Life
While many people handle these changes well, for others the changes trigger behaviors that can disrupt their lives and, in some cases, become harmful. These behaviors can include using drugs, drinking excessively, participating in dangerous activities, and engaging in promiscuous relationships. Here are some guidelines for moving your life forward:
- Avoid Making Major Changes in Your Lifestyle for at Least a Year: Make only the changes you need to make, and leave the rest alone. As you figure out how your new life will work, if something doesn’t need to be changed, let it stay as it is. There will be plenty of time later to make major changes.
- Focus on Your Children: Children are often the innocent victims of divorce, so they need to be your first priority. Your job is to help them work through the stresses of the divorce and the changes that it has made in their lives. They need to have the security of knowing you have things under control.
- Be Prepared for Changes in Your Finances: Divorce brings large changes in your finances. If you are paying or receiving spousal or child support, your income and expenses may be different. The division of property may have left you needing to buy things like furniture, kitchen items, or a car. You need to understand how the divorce has affected your finances before making any changes that can have long-term repercussions.
Divorce Is a Start – Not an End
Obtaining the final divorce decree is not the end of the divorce process. You need to put some time and effort into rebuilding your life. By moving slowly and carefully, you can create a new life that supports your needs now and in the future. Our lawyers can help you work through these issues. Call us today: Richmond, (804) 325-1245 or Williamsburg, (757) 941-4298.