3 Tips For Ending Your Marriage of 20+ Years

While most people hope that their marriage will stand the test of time and last them until their dying day, this isn’t the case for many marriages. Even after spending decades together and going through so much of life with one another, you may come to a point where you can’t or don’t want to be with your spouse anymore. However, getting divorced after so much of your life is intertwined with your spouse can be hard to manage, both logistically and emotionally.

If this is the situation in which you currently find yourself, whether you’re ready to divorce once you’ve become empty nesters or you’re no longer wanting to be married as you enter a senior living community, here are three tips for ending your marriage of 20+ years. 

Consider All The Logistics That Will Be Involved

Before you jump into making the decision to get divorced, you should first consider all of the logistics that will be involved with this decision. 

While most divorces are going to result in close friends and family members having to take sides to a certain extent, you’ll also have to figure out things like where you’ll now live, how you’ll separate your money and assets, and how you’ll start to take care of things that used to be provided to you by your spouse. And as you get older, these kinds of things can become harder for everyone, so make sure you think about how you’ll handle all of these things as you contemplate divorce. 

Be Prepared To Relearn Who You Are

When you’re spent so much time being married, many people feel that their entire identity is wrapped up in who they are to their spouse. So when they get divorced, it can be shocking to learn what you liked or did because of your spouse and who you actually are. To help you prepare for this, try to take some time to yourself soon after you decide to get divorced. With this focus on yourself, you’ll be able to relearn who you are and what you want out of your new life. 

Find The Best Professionals To Work With

While ending all marriages is going to come with some complications, ending a marriage that’s been going on for decades can get even more complicated as so much of your lives are tied up between each other. So to help you deal with this, you’ll want to make sure that you’re working with the best professionals to help you through this process. 

In addition to finding a great divorce lawyer to represent you, you should also consider getting a therapist to help you process everything that’s going on in your life personally now. 

If you’re about to end your marriage after being with your spouse for 20 years or more, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare yourself for this big life change.