What Do You Do If You Don’t Want a Divorce?
Divorce may feel like a last resort, something you want to avoid at all costs. Just because your spouse seems to have their mind made up doesn’t mean you have followed suit. You may still be hanging on to the last threads of your marriage and hoping to reach a resolution. This is often a gut-wrenching situation.
If your spouse has already filed with the courts here in Bucks or Montgomery Counties, you must obey all deadlines. It is time to hire an attorney to go over the initial paperwork with you and prepare you for the next steps.
Understanding what to do if you don’t want a divorce starts with knowing what you are legally required to do. Then, you can explore your options and start to move forward.
Can You Refuse a Divorce?
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These are the five stages of grief and the stages many divorcees go through when approaching this process. You may initially be in denial and wonder whether you can simply refuse the action or pretend it doesn’t exist.
If your spouse has legally initiated the divorce, there is immediacy in following deadlines. However, keep in mind that your divorce will take some time. By law, Pennsylvania has a 90-day mandatory cooling-off period for divorce. After filing, you and your spouse must wait at least 90 days to finalize the process. This gives you time to reconsider the decision and negotiate any issues, like child support or property division.
Pennsylvania follows no-fault divorce laws, meaning a spouse can choose to end their marriage without assigning blame or proving fault. While you cannot refuse this legal action, you maintain the right to contest a divorce if you disagree with the terms and want the court to intervene.
What To Do If You Don’t Want a Divorce and Your Spouse Does
If you don’t want a divorce, now may be a good time to sit down with your spouse and determine whether they are open to reconsidering. Would they be willing to try anything to make your marriage work? Or are they already checked out?
A few options you can present to them are:
- Divorce counseling and mediation: Counseling can work wonders for healing a marriage. If you are going through a contentious divorce, you may even need to complete court-mandated marriage counseling. A mediator could also help you and your spouse reach a compromise.
- Legal separation: You and your spouse can live separately without officially ending your marriage. Perhaps your spouse is open to delaying divorce proceedings and instead living separately to start.
If your partner isn’t open to any of these, it’s time to work on acceptance. This doesn’t need to be a fast process. Take it a day at a time, and start moving forward.
Seek Guidance From Karen Ann Ulmer, P.C.
Your life isn’t over just because you are going through a separation. You have a world of opportunities ahead of you, and you may look back and realize that this step was for the better in the long run.
At Karen Ann Ulmer, P.C., we would be happy to advise you on what you can do if you don’t want a divorce. Contact us today at (866) 309-3307 for a legal consultation.
