There’s a saying related to the belief that when it comes to many things in life “timing is everything.” Minnesota residents can likely think of a time or event when this saying rang especially true. From a job offer to a first date, many momentous events in one’s life seem to fall into place at exactly the right moment. However, when it comes to divorce, it’s often difficult to get the timing right.
While there are certainly factors or events that warrant a quick exit from a marriage, many individuals consciously choose to remain in a marriage long after its demise. For many, children and money are major factors in their decision to put off divorce.
Parents who contemplate splitting up are often concerned about how a divorce would impact minor-aged children. Not wanting to deal with the heartache and challenges that often accompany divorce and being a single-parent, some parents decide to stick it out until a child is in college. In addition to sparing a child the hurt of adjusting to divorce, many unhappy married couples also stay together for financial reasons.
Young couples who are raising children often struggle to make ends meet. For couples with large amounts of debt, divorce adds yet more financial burdens as debts must be divided and separate households and standards of living maintained. On the flip-side an individual may also choose to remain unhappily married if he or she expects that a spouse’s financial situation will improve. For example, a husband or wife may wait until a spouse makes partner at a prominent law firm or benefits from a large inheritance.
Whatever the reasons may be, deciding the best time to divorce can be difficult. There will always be one more birthday or holiday on the horizon that may prevent an individual from taking action. It’s important to note, however, that no child wants to grow up in an unhappy home and money may not be worth sacrificing years of one’s life and happiness. The truth is that there is likely never going to be a perfect or right time to file for or announce a divorce. An individual must do what is best for them and their specific situation.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “When’s the worst time to get a divorce? Splitting up at the wrong time could cost you big,” Quentin Fottrell, May 24, 2014
