Divorce Attorney: The 5 Stages Of Grief, Part Two
As a divorce attorney, I have seen how the five stages of grief are beneficial to healing and growth during the divorce process. In my previous blog, I discussed the first two stages of grief: denial and anger, and how they play a vital role in healing divorce wounds. This week I am continuing the conversation surrounding the five stages of grief, and how I can support you through this process. Let’s discuss how bargaining, depression and acceptance are beneficial to you:
As a divorce attorney, I am here to support you through the grieving process in divorce.
Bargaining is one of the stages of grief which causes emotional reflection, often noticed in “if only” and “what if” statements. During this difficult time, it’s not uncommon for clients to feel like they need to gain some sort of control over their lives. When these qualifying statements of “what if” and “if only” are made, clients are emotionally and rationally controlling their thoughts through hypothetical scenarios. Bargaining is the mind’s way of helping you process your current situation, and granting you time before further sadness, hurt, or confusion can set in.
In contrast to bargaining, depression is the quiet phase of the five stages of grief. After processing through denial, anger, and bargaining, depression forces the realization of a loss. In divorce cases, the loss is a marriage as well as the expectations of what that marriage meant for the future. The idea of facing a new future instead of the expected one, can cause depression. As a divorce attorney, I know that depression in a divorce is normal and is a necessary part to grieving and healing. During this time of depression, it is critical that you are connected to a support system of family, friends, and potential mental health professionals should you feel stuck in this phase longer than necessary.
The last stage of grief, acceptance, occurs when you can acknowledge and accept this loss, and how it will affect your life moving forward. Acceptance does not automatically equal happiness. In fact, acceptance looks more like resignation of your immediate situation and can move forward with this major life change. In this stage, good days and bad days alternate, and there might be more bad days over the good ones, but that’s okay. This is part of the grieving process, and there is no one-size-fits-all scenario when it comes to grieving a major loss and healing from it. As your divorce attorney, I am here to help support you in any way I can.
Going through the five stages of grief in a divorce takes time. The health, well-being and success of you and your family is important to me. I want these stages of grief to serve as a guide through your divorce; to know that each stage comes with its own challenges, but moving through them produces healing and confidence as you begin a new phase of your life. For nearly 30 years I have served the Overland Park and Johnson County, Kansas communities in family law and am here to support you. Please contact me today and ask for divorce attorney, Elizabeth Hill, to schedule a consultation, or call at (913) 381 – 1500 with any questions you have surrounding grief and your divorce.
