I have observed the following about the psyschological stages of the divorce process. I believe that the typical party to a divorce usually goes through three distinct psychological stages during the process of Divorce. For want of a better alternative, I’ll describe them as follows:
1) Denial
2) Anger
3) Resignation or Acceptance
For the average party, the first two stages might typically last from 1-2 weeks up to 3-4 months. However, what is really important to note is that spouses are often in completely different stages of this process. For instance, the Husband might have determined the marriage is over and has decided to move on (Resignation or Acceptance), while the Wife is still in Denial that the marriage is over and is trying to maintain (or rehabilitate) the marital relationship. This situation can be fraught with danger for the spouse in denial as the other party anticipates, plans for and takes active steps to improve his strategic position for the upcoming divorce proceedings. For the party that has decided to move on, the situation can often be frustrating as they attempt to dialogue or negotiate with the spouse who is in denial or just plain angry.
As divorcing is usually something akin to doing a business deal, there is often a great deal of frustration as one party attempts to deal with the situation in a constructive businesslike manner while for the other spouse the process is all about where they are emotionally and psychologically (in denial or anger). The saving grace here is that the legal process itself may move slowly and the spouse who is in one of the first two stages will usually come to acceptance as the matter moves to closure in the courts.
Barry Lewis, Attorney at Law - Divorce Lawyer Massachusetts - http://www.DivorceLawyerMa.com