You and your spouse no longer share as many values and opinions as you once did. You’ve drifted apart and you feel like your spouse has changed. You’re still doing what you can to make the marriage work, but you can tell that it is becoming more difficult.
Then your spouse comes to you and tells you that they want to get divorced. You’ve always been against divorce and you feel like the two of you should fight to make the marriage last. But you can’t convince your spouse that this is the right course of action. They say that they just want to end it. Is it possible for you to refuse it on grounds that this isn’t something you believe in?
Focus your energy on protecting your rights
If you’ve always felt this way, it’s understandable that this can be so stressful. But the fact of the matter is that no one can refuse to get divorced. You can’t stop the legal process. If your spouse wants a divorce, even if you refuse to go to court or don’t sign the divorce petition, they can still get a default divorce without your input.
If you are put in this position, you have no choice but to protect your rights throughout the dissolution process. You may not have wanted to get divorced, but the reality is that roughly half of all marriages do end in divorce, and you may not be able to stop it if this is what your spouse pursues.
Having counsel will guide you in considering your assets, the best interest of your children and ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible. , and do much else to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible. In many ways, if you’re a parent, your main goal will likely be to ensure that you can provide the children with the best possible future after the divorce. You can still work toward this goal productively.
As you can see, it’s very important to understand the legal steps you need to take. You may not have expected to find yourself in this position, but you can navigate it successfully.