Is Your Relationship Over? Here's What to Do Next

Having some kind of plan to follow can help to make things easier.

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The end of a relationship can be difficult to face, and it's even harder if you're married or have children. Firstly, you can spend a long time agonising over whether the relationship should really come to an end. It's not always easy to tell whether it's time for you to move on, or whether you might just be having some doubts that might soon pass. When you think that your relationship might be in trouble, you might feel like you have no idea what to do next. Having some options to explore and perhaps some kind of plan to follow can help to make things easier.

Is It Really Over?

Before ending a relationship, you need to make sure that it's really what you want. Sometimes, this might be the easiest decision in the world. However, there are other occasions when it can be one of the most difficult things to think about. Even if you think that it might be time to end the relationship, you can still have feelings of love, affection, and other positive emotions that are difficult to ignore. It's worth taking some time to think about what you really want to do. Consider the reasons you're contemplating the end of your relationship and whether they outweigh the reasons that you might have to continue it.

Consider Working on Your Relationship First

If you recognise that there are problems within your relationship, but you're not sure if it means that the relationship is irreparable, you might want to consider an alternative first. It's possible to try and work on a relationship first, instead of jumping straight to separation. You might be particularly keen to try this if you live together or are married, and you're committed to working on your relationship as time goes on. You might need to have a discussion about how you're feeling, and perhaps make some changes to how you do things. Some couples find that they benefit from counselling, which gives them an outside opinion and professional advice.

Make a Plan

When you have decided that your relationship needs to end, you should come up with a plan. Maybe it's as simple as having the conversation that ends your relationship so that you can process it and move on. However, there might be some things that you want to think about carefully before having that conversation. How do you want to broach the subject, and when might it be the best time to bring it up? Where would be the best place to do it? You might even want to start thinking about what happens next, especially if you need support from others, or you need to find somewhere to stay.

Explore the Divorce Process

If you're married, getting divorced is necessary to legally end the marriage. This can feel like an even bigger conversation to have. You might begin with a separation, which then leads to a legal divorce later, as it can take some time. It's important to understand the marriage separation process so that you know what steps you need to take. You will need to think about whether you will need a lawyer or other legal support. You need to understand what conditions you will have to meet to complete the divorce process, how your assets will be dealt with, and perhaps issues of child custody too.

Decide Your Next Steps

It's always a good idea to explore what your options are after making a big change in your life. Sometimes it might make sense to take things one step at a time, but other times you should know what you're going to do next. You might need to think about big issues like where you're going to live or other changes that you might need to make to your life. A solid plan can help to make the big decision to end your relationship less frightening and easier to manage.

Get Support

Having support after a breakup can help to make it easier. You can experience a period of grieving after your relationship has ended, even if you were the one to decide to end it. When you have support from friends and family, it can feel easier to manage the aftermath of the breakup or divorce. They can lend support in different ways, including practical help and emotional support.

The end of a relationship is rarely easy to deal with, but sometimes you have to face that it's time for it to be over. Consider your options carefully to decide what to do.


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