In Colorado and throughout the country, people tend to assume that divorce is easier if children aren’t involved. But a recent Huffington Post article poses a question that may be interesting to Fort Collins residents who are going through or considering a divorce. Is the process necessarily easier for couples who don’t have kids?
Granted, there are some issues that simply don’t come up in a divorce that doesn’t involve children. The divorcing couple doesn’t have to worry about negotiations regarding child custody, visitation rights and child support. And the difficult emotions specific to divorce with children are also not an issue.
Still, as author Elizabeth Gilbert points out, the difficulties of divorce without children can be just as challenging as those faced by divorcing parents. The author of “Eat, Pray, Love” says that she decided never to have kids with her former spouse, and yet dissolving her marriage still cost her dearly in terms of finances and emotional troubles. Gilbert even felt a great pressure to defend her choice not to have children, and her experience may remind Colorado residents that divorce is painful for everyone who goes through it, no matter what your situation is.
When spouses break up, they often fret over the possibility of not being able to maintain a particular lifestyle after the divorce, and that goes for divorcing parents as well as people without children. There is also the worry that the relationship patterns that may have led to the divorce will crop up again, affecting future relationships. Moreover, property division and spousal support are emotionally draining issues that have to be negotiated in almost every marital split.
In the end, there is no denying it: the divorce process is hard for parents as well as for people without kids. Each divorce presents its own set of challenges, but there are some common worries and concerns that apply across the board. Colorado residents who are going through a divorce will want to address these concerns carefully and honestly as they seek a truly fair divorce settlement.
Source: Huffington Post, “Is Divorce Easier If You Don’t Have Kids?” Vicki Larson, July 11, 2012
