Untying The Knot

Divorce is messy. And hard. And shameful. You feel like a failure.

In fact, there is nothing to be ashamed of. According to the 2006 census, 4 out of every 10 first marriages in Canada end in divorce. And according to the 2011 census, 5 million Canadians have separated or divorced in the past two decades. Do you know what this really means? It means that you are not alone.

After months, and possibly even years, you realize that your marriage has broken down and it’s time to take the necessary steps to begin the hard, messy process of divorce. In other words, it is time to untie the knot.

But where do you start? Start slowly and get a handle on all the emotions that are coursing through your body and keeping you awake at night.

You are probably feeling completely overwhelmed, and possibly even terrified of the idea of becoming a single parent. Will your kids hate you? How will you manage financially? Will your friends and family consider you a failure?

Stop. Breathe.

Your kids will not hate you and you haven’t failed at marriage. People grow apart and having the inner strength, the courage and the wisdom to move on with your life makes you a role model to those around you.

Like many of the challenges life throws at you, take this one step at a time. You will need to gather your financial and personal documents, create a budget, and most importantly, start finding professionals who will get you through this.

It will definitely be a time-consuming process and but take it from someone who has been there, you will get through this and come out on the other side as a new person, ready to rebuild your life.