You may have seen them on Instagram or Facebook. Couples posting divorce selfies are attracting a lot of attention and some criticism as well. Many of the couples are smiling, even mugging for the camera, displaying their signed divorce documents or posing outside the courthouse where they filed for divorce.
The pictures’ captions tell a story, too. These couples do not express the bitterness, anger or hostility commonly felt after a divorce. Instead, they tell of gratitude and goodwill.
A new perspective on divorce
Psychologists feel this trend is a positive step toward a healthier way to end a marriage. Couples are moving away from clinging to a fading relationship to appreciating the good that came from it and admitting it is over. If you are noticing signs that your marriage is ending, you may wonder how to achieve this for yourself and your spouse.
Some of the ways in which couples posting divorce selfies are changing the image of divorce include:
- Paying honor to their marriages
- Refusing to feel ashamed that their marriages ended
- Celebrating the future
- Acknowledging their friendship to one another
- Professing their commitment to their children
Psychologists say children benefit most when they have consistently close contact with both parents following a divorce. When families break apart and the parents become enemies, the children suffer.
Still, there is resistance to the divorce selfie trend. Some from previous generations still see divorce as a tragic and difficult time, while younger couples seem to accept that marriage is a legal arrangement that can be broken respectfully if the romance ends.
Mediation as an option
Many couples in Colorado desire this kind of positive outcome from their divorces. The painful tussle of litigation often leaves scars that are slow to heal. Like many couples, you may feel matters slipping out of your control in a heated courtroom battle. Having that tension between you and your spouse may make it difficult to co-parent and create a sense of distrust that may complicate any future relationships.
One way to increase the probability of a positive and hopeful outcome is to consider divorce mediation. With a neutral mediator, you and your spouse work through the issues of your divorce with the goal of arriving at an agreeable settlement. Rather than handing these crucial decisions to strangers in a courtroom, you and your spouse can make a plan that will potentially fit your needs for many years. If your mediation is successful, you can join the many posting victorious divorce selfies.
