“I was hit hard when my wife told me she wanted a divorce. Certainly, our marriage wasn’t perfect. Is anyone’s? But in reality, we didn’t fight very much. We have two wonderful children, whom we both love and enjoy tremendously. Along the way we tried couples therapy to iron out a few rough patches. But I am in shock that she wants to file for a divorce now.”
This is not such an unusual scenario in which one spouse suddenly announces they want a divorce surprising the other. And in this instance, there wasn’t even a conversation about divorce before this final blow came to the husband. In a situation like this, after the initial shock wears off, it’s time to realize that obviously his wife experienced things differently.
What to Do Next
Upon reflection, the husband looked back and realized that even though they tried counseling, the marriage problems never dissipated. The couple avoided fighting in front of the children and appeared to many to be happily married. It was only through additional discussions that both spouses started to accept there would be no reconciliation of their marriage. But how do they handle divorce?
A strong first step is for the husband to hire a divorce attorney. Getting a clear idea of what lies ahead, both legally and emotionally, can help clear the way to a marital dissolution with the least possible discord. Divorce is always more complicated than initially thought. When moving forward with divorce, an experienced lawyer can provide the big picture of what to expect and how best to protect the interests of the parties with the least amount of acrimony possible.
Keeping the Peace
For couples who can agree on most of the critical issues such as support and child custody, divorce mediation can be a less expensive option which can move things along much quicker. This choice, when possible, lets the parties decide on these critical issues with the guidance of their attorneys and the mediator, instead of a judge in formal family law court.
Getting divorced is never simple or easy. When hiring an Orange County family law attorney, consider retaining an experienced lawyer who is a Certified Family Law Specialist by the California State Bar. At Buncher Family Law, we’ve got you covered and can share the best strategies to move you through this process as smoothly as possible.