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How to Stop a Divorce


This is a tricky situation, because there are numerous points in time a person can ask this question. The question of how to stop a divorce can occur during any of these situations:

1. When a Spouse Is Thinking About It

2. During Marriage Counseling Sessions

3. During a Divorce Mediation Before a Petition Is Filed

4. Right After a Petition Is Filed

5. After the Grounds for Divorce Has Been Established

6. And Even After the Judgment of Divorce Has Been Awarded

So, in other words, there are options!

How It All Begins….

No one needs to know that there are numerous how-to books and audio tapes and seminars and whatnot about how to maintain a marriage, but if your spouse (or yourself) is thinking about divorce, trying to set up a plan for how to stop a divorce between you and your spouse is about as easy as calling a number. The number of a marriage counselor, actually.

There’s even a step-by-step process to rekindling a marriage and getting a spouse to feel jazzed about the marriage enough to completely dismiss the idea of divorce. It does take work.

But many have accomplished it.

How to Stop a Divorce During Counseling

Sometimes, though, counseling doesn’t ensure that a spouse will choose not to divorce. It stands as a fact that most spouses still end up divorcing even when in counseling. It takes two to make it work – on the altar, in the home, and even in a marriage counselor’s office.

But, again, it does happen. Because the truth is knowing how to stop a divorce can mean knowing how to convince your spouse during that marriage counseling session that the marriage is worth saving.

Sometimes a Divorce Mediation Can Help

It does happen, however unlikely. And the reason why is generally speaking most divorce mediations occur due to mutual consent. Both spouses believe that their marriage should end.

So the natural course of action is to find the easiest way to go through the process. The great thing, though, about this situation is that because it’s so easy to agree on a divorce, it might just be as easy to believe that the marriage should be salvaged.

And how to stop the divorce is as easy as saying, “okay, I’m done with this mediation thing, let’s forget about it.”

What About After the Petition Is Filed?

For many, figuring out how to stop a divorce at this point is about as futile as trying to get somewhere on a treadmill. But the fact is this:

You can stop a divorce. Even at this point.

This, unfortunately, largely depends on the Petitioner, though. Why? Because the Petitioner originally filed the petition for divorce.

By law, as long as the Respondent (the other spouse) hasn’t filed a “response” in court, a Petitioner can rightfully “dismiss” the petition. In effect, change his/her mind. It may take an additional document filed with the county clerk to do it, but that’s how easy it is. It would be as if the petition for divorce was never filed.

Contesting the Divorce

Putting aside the common grounds of “irreconcilable differences,” it just so happens that all of these grounds, if disproven, will allow any Respondent to actually prove the need for dismissal in a court of law (much to the dismay of the Petitioner):

1. Adultery
2. Abuse
3. Criminal Activity
4. Willful Desertion
5. Fraud
6. Jail Time

Several states differ with other types of grounds, too. But the fact is this: if a Respondent can prove that these grounds don’t even exist, legally the divorce cannot be awarded.

Lastly, There’s Remarriage!

This might sound funny, but there’s no law stating that a divorced couple can’t get married again! Even after the judgment of divorce has been filed.

A new marriage contract between the two former ex-spouses basically nullifies the divorce agreement, thereby starting over. That is, of course, if both parties want to go through the process of divorce only to realize that it was the wrong decision and decide to get married again.

Again, There Are Options

Divorce isn’t final, absolute. Unless it has to be.

But just know that there’s always a way back, at any part of the process – whether it’s beginning or end. It all depends on what you (and/or your spouse) wants.

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