9 Things to Say When Your Aunt Lily Asks About Your Divorce

You’ve been through it all: the looks of shock, the sympathetic stares, the denial (“But you two were always so happy!”). As soon as you announced your breakup and hired a Toronto divorce lawyer, it seemed like open season for people to let you know what they thought of your marriage in the first place, and what they now think of your divorce.

Haven’t you been through enough without the judgment and platitudes from well-meaning relatives? If you’re tired of nodding, smiling and making non-committal comments about how life is full of change, it’s time to take off the gloves and tell Aunt Lily how you really feel. What to say, of course, depends on your mood.

Elated

These quotes leave no room for misinterpretation: the mistake is not retaining a Toronto divorce lawyer, it was getting married in the first place.

“I have no wish for a second husband. I had enough of the first.” – Susanna Moody.

“The only time my wife and I had a simultaneous orgasm was when the judge signed the divorce papers.” – Woody Allen.

“You know why divorces are so expensive? Because they’re worth it.” – Henny Youngman.

Bitter

While these quotes might not stop all the questioning, they do serve the purpose of eliciting laughter – and sympathy.

“She cried—and the judge wiped her tears with my checkbook.” – Tommy Manville.

“Instead of getting married again, I’m just going to find a woman I don’t like and give her a house.”  – Lewis Grizzard

Introspective

Show how evolved you are about the question of divorce with one of these philosophical statements.

“Divorce isn’t such a tragedy. A tragedy is staying in an unhappy marriage.” – Jennifer Weiner.

“I try not to think of divorce as failing at marriage but rather winning at bitterness and resentment.” –Unknown

“When two people decide to get a divorce, it isn’t a sign that they “don’t understand” one another, but a sign that they have, at last, begun to.” – Helen Rowland.

All joking aside, divorce doesn’t have to prevent you from living happily for the rest of your life. Marital breakup simply signals the end of a period of your life where you were legally joined to another person.

Perhaps over time it has become apparent that your marriage, though entered into with the best of intentions, is not what you hoped it would be — and though you have taken all reasonable steps to work things out, nothing is shifting. If your relationship is no longer sustainable, ending it may be a step away from unhappiness and towards freedom, independence and possibility.

If you’re contemplating divorce and want to know how to answer the more technical questions, we at Fine & Associates can help you. We have helped thousands of couples and we can help you too. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.