As unpleasant as it may be to realize, when your spouse asked for a divorce, it was likely a decision that came from months, perhaps years of agonizing and soul searching. While the announcement may have taken you by surprise, your spouse was probably ready and determined to get through the divorce as quickly as possible.

Nevertheless, you may feel you need more time to process the new situation, and while your spouse may want to hurry things along, you may not be ready to see it end. It may seem to you that the most logical course of action is to use whatever tactic you can to stall the divorce; however, this method may make your divorce even more painful.

Dragging your feet may drag you down

Postponing hearings and meetings or raising needless objections to prevent the divorce process from proceeding may bring about circumstances that seriously hinder your ability to resolve crucial issues and maintain a civil tone. Some problems that may arise as you stall include the following:

• Your spouse may begin to resent you, damaging your chances of maintaining a positive relationship in the future.
• Your spouse may find another love interest, and this person may complicate your settlement process by influencing your spouse in areas of custody or finances.
• Your friends and family may begin to interfere by offering confusing or counterproductive advice.
• The frustration that builds between you and your spouse may make it impossible to consider mediation or other less contentious divorce procedures.

Another crucial consideration is the financial repercussions of delaying your divorce. Aside from your legal fees, delaying your divorce means delaying your settlement, including your share of assets and any support payments the court may order. This may negatively affect your standard of living. Stalling the divorce may also make your spouse less willing to compromise when dividing assets that may be important to you.

A difficult but peaceful resolution

In the shock of learning that your spouse wanted a divorce, you may have reacted by trying to cling harder to the marriage. Perhaps your reasoning for the delay is to punish your spouse by making him or her wait before moving on with a new life. However, those tactics may serve only to make things more difficult for you.

The waiting period in Kentucky may already place a strain on your divorce. By dragging out the procedure with objections and delays, you place your finances, your relationship with your spouse and your future at risk. Following the advice of your attorney during your divorce will increase the possibility that you and your spouse will part amicably and maintain a cordial relationship in the future.