It’s over! You finally have that piece of paper returning you to the status of a single person.
Suddenly, you may find out that there’s a big hole in your life. Whether your divorce went easily or badly, it took up a lot of your time and attention, so you probably haven’t had much time to adjust to the idea of being single.
Here are some steps you can take help you make the transition:
1. Celebrate your new life.
You’ve probably been through a lot getting to this place, so there’s nothing wrong with having a glass of wine and celebrating the end of one journey and the start of another. A recent trend has been toward having divorce parties. They’re usually low-key affairs with cake honoring the death of the marriage with your closest friends.
2. Talk about where things go from here.
This is a particularly important step for your kids. You may see the next year or so as an adventure, but they may be feeling a lot of anxiety about the future. Keep them informed of the changes that they’re about to face. Even if things seem fine at home, check in with their teachers, school counselors and babysitters to see if they are acting out when you aren’t around.
3. Get your finances under control.
Everybody tends to run up bills during divorce and when starting over, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Deal with it. Make a plan to get your debt back under control and stick with it.
4. Don’t rush the next relationship.
It can be scary to be single, but that’s the worst reason to find a new romance. Stay single until you understand what made you choose the wrong person the last time and how to not make the same mistakes again.
5. Have one last meeting with your attorney.
You thought you were through with all of that, didn’t you? Well, almost. You need to make sure that you understand any ongoing obligations you have according to the divorce decree and what could happen if you fail to meet those obligations. Find out if your lawyer will be available to help if there are any post-divorce modifications that need to happen in the future.
For more information on handling your post-divorce life, talk to your attorney today.
Source: Huffington Post, “The First Thing You Must Do When Your Divorce Is Final,” Brittany Wong, accessed Aug. 11, 2017
