The courts frequently use a certain expression. You should divorce better but not bitter. Everyone is aware that the relationship failed. It’s the reason there will be a divorce. You might feel resentful about it. You could endeavor to improve your situation as you move on to different areas of your life. Bitterness. Spitefulness. All those unfavorable traits could send you on a downward spiral. Sabotages your efforts to win your divorce by leading you in the wrong direction. How to divorce better not bitter.
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Give good communication a high priority. emphasize working together. If you stall and withhold information, your case will not succeed. Using disruptive and abusive behavior won’t help you win. It won’t be of any help. It is ineffective. The process will get stifled. You will be accused of acting dishonestly in the eyes of the judge. The terms of the settlement agreement are not decided by the attorneys. The legal professional is the one who certifies the document. The arrangement that the spouses have come up with will be submitted to the court for approval by your Michigan Divorce Attorney. The other party is the target of months of your ire and abuse. Your ability to negotiate a deal with the same party will now be difficult. All of that abuse will be held against you.
What does it mean to have a bitter divorce rather than divorce better?
Bitterness is a natural emotion to have after a divorce. Expect it to be common in an acrimonious divorce. Pain coupled with a sense of being abandoned makes it easy to fall into bitterness. Divorce may be the only outcome of your marriage. You will have to deal with that bitterness. You have to overcome the bitterness. Lessen the impact of bitterness on your health. Reconfigure your life to promote personal growth. But how do you know if you’re wallowing in bitterness? Let’s get a quick look at all the signs of bitterness:
Always thinking about the past.
It’s natural to think of the past. Your kind of thinking crosses a lot of boundaries though. You think of it when you wake up. You take it to breakfast. You take it to dinner. You’re doing it around the coffee machine. You take it home. You have a smorgasbord of thinking of the past. It might start coming at you in a nightmare. You’re dwelling on what has been. Are you any of those mentioned? If yes, you are wallowing in bitterness.
Feeling angry, resentful, or even vengeful.
You know that moment when you’re cutting paper with a pair of scissors? You saw your spouse’s smiling face in a tabletop picture frame. Your grip on the pair of scissors tightened. It’s you being angry. Your grip gets harder. Your eyes are teary. You bend the scissor handle. That’s you being resentful. You start scratching the tabletop with the scissors. You’re about to be vengeful. You get your spouse’s newly minted credit card. Ordered pizza for everyone in your 50-storey office building. Now that’s you being vengeful. Now you need a lawyer.
Having a negative outlook on life.
You’re starting to see the worst things in people. You see bad things you’ve never noticed before. You’re now seeing the world as a hostile place. Oppressive even. You’re hurt. You have this strong desire to lash out at everyone who has done you wrong. You’re less trusting now. Getting involved in new relationships is far from your mind right now. You don’t want to be hurt again.
Avoiding social interaction.
You’re becoming isolated. Conversations are no longer giving you comfort. You’re sinking deeper into loneliness. Being alone makes healing more difficult. Locking doors. Closing the blinds on your windows. You find solace in the darkest part of your room.
Having low self-esteem.
It’s a very painful experience. Karma seems to be coming for you. You don’t feel good about yourself. You’re blaming yourself for the separation. You feel you don’t deserve to be happy. You don’t want to talk about your feelings. You’re starting to crash. You need help very soon.
If you’re experiencing any combination of these signs, seek help. Talk to someone. Talk to a friend. Visit a therapist. You need to develop a healthy coping mechanism to get over the bitterness. Keep in mind that you are not alone. After a trying time, many people become bitter, but it is possible to get over it and move on with your life. You can recover and rediscover happiness with patience and hard work.
What are the repercussions of a bitter divorce?
A divorce is already a very emotional journey. A bitter divorce can fill this journey with resentment. Litter the path with so many negative emotions. The detrimental effect of a bitter divorce sets in cutting across all family members. All those involved have to endure its repercussions.
Emotional and Psychological Impact.
Bitter divorces are packed with intense conflicts between the two parties. You have to deal with hostility. You have resentment. Hostility can make it difficult to communicate. You can’t cooperate on anything related to the divorce. Resentment is caused by infidelity and financial problems. It is a feeling of being taken advantage of in the marriage.
- Increased stress and anxiety. Stress levels go up as ongoing hostilities progress. The divorce process makes people more anxious. It makes everyone uncomfortable. They are always concerned with what the opposing side will do next. The rising legal cost adds to the stress.
- Negative self-image. Blame can have an effect on self-esteem. It undermines your self-worth. You start believing what the other is saying about you. Negative feelings of self are haunting you. You start believing you are a failure. That you are to be blamed for not making the marriage work.
- Impaired coping skills. Intense emotions flood the sensibilities of parties in a bitter divorce. It can be overwhelming. These emotions impede the ability to cope. If you are at the receiving end, you are unable to think clearly. It becomes difficult to make rational decisions. Makes it more challenging to move forward.
- The strain on the parent-child relationship. Children feel the tension between their parents. They pick up on the stress. They feel anxiety projected by their parents. They witness verbal sparring. The stress is palpable for them. Being in the center of it causes them stress. They start to get concerned for their parent’s welfare. Children begin to feel they must pick a side. They start believing the disagreement is their fault.
Financial Consequences.
A bitter divorce can be quite costly for both parties. These divorces sometimes result in protracted legal disputes. The rising attorney fees deplete financial resources. Conflicts over asset division, spousal support, and child support may also worsen. It results in pricey court cases and protracted negotiations. A controversial asset division may result in a less-than-ideal outcome. Valuable assets are sold. Assets are liquidated to resolve conflicts. The emotional toll of a contentious divorce may influence judgment. It leads to rash financial decisions with long-term ramifications. A contentious divorce can affect job and earning capacity. It aggravates already challenging financial circumstances.
Increased Legal Costs.
A bitter divorce instigates too many conflicts. It is prone to confrontation. The consequence is litigation that stretches too long. Legal fees pile up. Court fees increase because of motions filed. The cost of a bitter divorce might exceed the value of the assets subject to property division.
Diminished Assets.
Divorcing couples are required to share their marital assets. The home, cars, savings, and retirement accounts are a few examples of this. The partition of assets can be quite difficult in a contested divorce. Parties are willing to go into a fierce battle to get their just share of assets. They’re willing to shell out more money for legal bills. The result of such a battle is the depletion of marital assets. By the time the divorce is formalized, the marital assets may be entirely gone.
Future Financial Insecurity.
Here’s a thing with bitter divorces. It often leaves one spouse in a compromised financial position. It makes post-divorce recovery difficult. It is hard to rebuild, to secure financial stability. Finding a new job or getting a loan is more challenging. It is hard work to get back on your feet financially.
Co-Parenting Challenges.
Your co-parenting challenges are going to affect your children. Both in the short and long terms. You may not be on friendly terms. You still need to focus on the needs of their children. Work to discover ways to co-parent. You don’t have to agree on everything, Cooperate to decide what is best for your children. Consider how your dispute is affecting your children. Take action to de-escalate.
Communication breakdown.
Parents do something when they fight. They stop talking about their children. They stop talking to their children. Isolation sets in. You’re setting up walls around everyone. Your anxieties are consuming you. You are forgetting you have children to worry about. They feel the pressure of your conflicts. They’ll start thinking they are causing the breakup.
What are the strategies for overcoming bitterness in divorce?
It’s natural to experience negative emotions. Find strategies for overcoming bitterness. Promote your personal growth. Take a healthier transition into post-divorce life. It needs support. It requires a commitment to personal growth. Letting go of bitterness is beneficial for your own well-being. It also paves the way for healthier co-parenting relationships. A more fulfilling future.
Acceptance and Self-Reflection.
We know marriage is going to end soon. The final order will come. Now you need to get back on your feet. Find yourself. Acceptance. Self-reflection. Take the time to heal yourself. Acknowledge your emotions. Reflect on your role in the relationship. Reach a place of acceptance. Move on with your life. Build a new future for yourself.
- Acknowledge Your Feelings. Pain is something you suppress. Not something to remember. Embracing pain is difficult. You need to give yourself permission to feel them. Bottling up emotions is an unhealthy coping mechanism. Your coping mechanism might be substance abuse. It can be self-harm. Process your emotions in a healthy way. Be brave enough to ask for help. Seek a therapist. Try journaling if you’re not ready to reach out yet. Maybe exercising will work for you. You have to try something. Express your emotions. It will help you heal.
- Self-Reflection. It’s over. The judgment of divorce has made it final. Now is the time to reflect. Time to look at your own role in the breakdown of the relationship. What were your own contributions to the problems? What could you have done differently? Self-reflection can be difficult. Revisiting what you are trying to move away from brings pain. Your reflections now are aimed at understanding yourself more. We’re past the blaming game already. These reflections are more towards making changes for the future. You need to forgive yourself now. Forgive your ex-spouse. Time to heal.
- Acceptance. You have acknowledged your emotions. Processed them. Now you’re ready to be in another place. Move towards reaching a place of acceptance. You don’t have to like what happened. You don’t have to forgive your ex-spouse. Accept the reality of the situation. It’s done. Time to move on with your life. Acceptance is a difficult process to embrace. You need it for your healing. Get to that place of acceptance. Start focusing on the future. Build a new life for yourself.
Seek Professional Support.
Get help. It’s not going to be easy but you need it. Find a therapist if you have to. Here are some suggestions for locating a therapist.
- Do research. You need more than a good profile. You need a good fit. It needs investigation. There are many specialists in this field. Conduct an online search for professionals in your region. Go ask your friends. Talk to family members. Ask your doctor for referrals.
- Ask prospective therapists questions. Make an appointment to speak with each therapist. At least the ones you are interested in after you have identified a few. This will offer you an opportunity to get to know them better. Determine if you click with them.
- Be honest with your therapist. Be open with your therapist. The therapeutic process is more successful that way. Be candid about your ideas. Express your sentiments. Revisit experiences, especially the ones that are challenging.
Support Networks.
Build a strong support system. It should be made up of friends and family. Include divorce support groups. Some insights into building your support system.
- Talk to friends. Go to your family. Let them know what you’re going through. Ask for support. They may be able to offer practical help. Give you advice on childcare. Tips about transportation. You don’t have to be active yet. You can start by being there to listen. Offer emotional support.
- Join a divorce support group. Make connections with others experiencing the same thing. Go online. Find them. Meet them face to face. Get a safe place for social interaction. Talk about your experiences. Get help from others. There are others who can relate. Who went through the same pain. You are already seeing a therapist. Talk to them about your need for support. They may be able to connect you with other resources or help you to build a support network.
Focus on Self-Care.
It’s done. You have your judgment of divorce. You’re drained. You need to take care of yourself now. You need to heal. Self-care is important for healing. Regaining your well-being after a bitter divorce requires a lot of self-care. You need it to maintain a positive outlook after a bitter divorce. Healing takes time. Here are some guidelines for improving your health:
- Get adequate rest. Scientific studies have revealed the adverse impact of no sleep. It increases anxiety. Breaks down the immune system. Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
- Adopt a balanced diet. You can get the energy you need to deal with stress. Heal by consuming healthy foods. Make sure your diet is rich in fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise is a fantastic technique to lower stress. Lift your spirits. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week, at a moderate level.
- Invest time in your loved ones. Having social support is crucial for recovery after divorce. Spend time with those who are supportive of you and who make you feel good.
Develop Effective Coping Strategies.
Effective coping strategies are techniques you can use to manage stress. You can find better ways of dealing with daily challenges when you change your behavior. Adapt to difficult situations. You need to adapt coping strategies to maintain your emotional well-being. Develop resilience in the face of adversity. Read a brief overview of some coping strategies.
- Healthy Communication. Learn to be assertive in communicating. Be respectful. Express what you need to. Establish boundaries in a clear direct way. Respect also means being able to listen to your ex-spouse’s needs. Compromise when necessary. Boundaries are important to keep healthy communication after divorce.
- Letting Go of Control. Spending almost a lifetime with someone makes letting go almost impossible. Embrace the reality that you have no control over your ex-spouse’s actions. The truth is you cannot make them love you. Focus on what you can control. Your reactions. Your decisions. That’s what you can control. You can control the choices you make about your life. Make a series of decisions to move forward now.
You have time for yourself after divorce. Seeking professional support is an important step in the healing process. Work with a therapist. Learn to cope with your emotions in a healthy way. Develop a plan for moving forward with your life. A therapist or counselor can provide a safe space to talk about your feelings. Your therapist can help you develop healthier coping mechanisms. Adapt strategies for dealing with stress.
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