The experience of getting a divorce can make you feel terrible. For many people, it is a negative event filled with heartache, pain and stress. Anything that makes you feel better, like dating someone new, can’t possibly be a bad thing, right?
The circumstances around divorce differ from couple to couple, impacting how they react to each other’s conduct. For example, it might not bother some spouses if the other starts dating during the divorce. In other situations, however, it could make a divorce even messier.
The possible advantages of dating
You might benefit from the distraction that dating someone new can offer amid your divorce proceedings. Other possible personal benefits include:
- Boost in self-confidence
- Better overall mood and self-esteem
- Improved ability to cope during a divorce
- Increased sense of empowerment and control over your life
If you date during your divorce, it shouldn’t have any effect on your settlement or any of your agreements unless it can be shown that it’s having a significantly negative effect on your children.
The possible disadvantages of dating
One downside of dating amid divorce is that you have not yet healed properly. After a broken marriage, spouses typically need time to recover from the loss of their relationship before starting a new romance. Other potential drawbacks include:
- Interference with the process of learning from divorce
- Interruption of the healthy processing of divorce emotions
- Potentially increases hostility and conflict with the other spouse
- Possibly harming kids who are still trying to accept and cope with divorce
The decision to date before your divorce concludes is yours. However, it serves your best interests to seek legal guidance before making major life changes while your divorce is still in progress.