Getting divorced at any age can be enormously upsetting. If you are young and divorcing, you can be misled to thinking that it will be a fairly simple process because you may not have any kids or significant assets to divide.
However, there are plenty of factors that can make divorcing in your 20s more complicated than you may realize. You may have to sell your house, calculate and divide marital assets and debt and even if you don't have kids, you may still have to figure out who will keep a family pet. On top of all the legal logistics of divorce, you can also be experiencing an overwhelming range of emotions.
One woman recently conducted a survey of people who were divorced in their 20s and found that there are seven different "levels of reality" people can experience after divorce. These levels, according to her article in the Huffington Post, are as follows:
- Relief
- Devastation
- Failure
- Embarrassment
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Celebration
Of course every person is different and divorce is a very personal, unique experience. However, many people would agree that these are common, natural emotions to feel when a marriage has ended.
Depending on which emotion may be more predominant at any given time, it can be very difficult to resolve the legal issues that must be handled to finalize a divorce. For example, someone who is consumed by devastation may not be as combative during discussions of property division as someone who is angrier than anything else. And it may be easier to make some difficult decisions if you are feeling relief instead of anxiety.
Checking in on your emotions can be crucial during a divorce because they can be so complicated, erratic and powerful. This is why many people choose to speak with a counselor or therapist during or after divorce.
It can also be important to have an attorney on your team as well. A legal representative can take on the complications of the legal system and work to resolve the details of a divorce so you can stay focused on your well-being and a future of hope and celebration.