Category: Featured Content

People love to celebrate. We’ll take any excuse to throw a party, whether it’s a holiday, a promotion at work, or the Trailblazers making a playoff run. While we usually think of ending a marriage as a serious, somber affair, that’s not always the case. Increasingly, many people take the occasion as an excuse to celebrate divorce.

It’s difficult to end a marriage and it alters your life in almost every way. Even when it’s the right decision, the absolute best choice, that doesn’t make it any easier. There’s so much stress and emotion involved that when it’s finally over, it’s normal to feel an intense sense of relief and even freedom.

It’s easy to wallow, but more and more, people choose to celebrate divorce instead. And what better time to party than when you close the door on a painful chapter of your life and start off in a new direction?

Commemorating the dissolution of marriage takes many forms. One company sells tiny coffins to bury your wedding ring, and people often burn mementos from their relationship in a cathartic act. But let’s take a look at some of the more festive, life-affirming, and downright fun ways people celebrate divorce.

Ways to Celebrate Divorce:

Divorce Parties

What better way to celebrate divorce than by throwing a party? This is also probably the most obvious, high-profile ritual for moving forward. Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by loved ones and have a good time after a trying experience?

Divorce parties take many forms and cut across the whole spectrum. Maybe your ideal way to celebrate divorce is to share a quiet meal, a few drinks, and some laughs with close friends. Then again, after ending your marriage, maybe you’re in the mood for an all-out rager the cops have to bust up.

How you celebrate divorce boils down to personal preference. But this type of revelry has become so commonplace that party planners and event specialists regularly field such requests. From subdued to outrageous, no matter your tastes, there’s someone out there to help you plan the perfect divorce party.

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Divorce Cakes

What’s a party without a cake? And what’s a divorce party without a divorce cake? A wedding cake is an integral, symbolic part of most marriage ceremonies, so it adds a bit of poetic justice to have one at the other end.

A veritable cottage industry has sprung up around divorce cakes. Just do a quick Google image search to see the incredible variety that exists in the world.

These divorce desserts run the gamut from simple sheet cakes with words like “Freedom” written in frosting to elaborate, multi-tiered confectionary wizardry.

Think broken hearts, a chocolate ball and chain, and effigies of exes being devoured by monsters. Astonishing inventiveness abounds, and there’s a certain catharsis to literally biting off your ex’s head, even if it’s only in tasty dessert form.

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Divorce Selfies

Selfies are a ubiquitous presence these days, so the rise of divorce selfies probably shouldn’t surprise anyone. Couples amicably ending a marriage have started taking to social media to joyously celebrate divorce and share their enthusiasm with the world.

Often these photos take the form of a smiling, otherwise happy-looking couple. They brandish divorce certificates or show off a newly ring-free finger on their left hand. Some are simple, straightforward, and spur-of-the-moment, while others are more elaborate and planned out in advance.

Ending a marriage doesn’t always have to be dour and rife with conflict, and divorce selfies illustrate this. Not every split turns into a contentious, knock-down-drag-out fight between spouses. And marriages don’t always end on bad terms. Maybe your union just didn’t work or the two of you simply grew in different directions.

It’s possible to divorce and move forward with positivity, to see divorce as a good thing, and that’s worth celebrating.

And even if their divorce was a hellacious affair, many still take to social media to mark the occasion. After all, pics or it didn’t happen, right?

Related Reading: Ways to Prepare for Divorce

Do Something You Always Wanted To Do

Divorce often comes with a newfound feeling of freedom and liberation, like casting off an anchor that held you down. One way many people celebrate divorce and this fresh independence is to do something they’ve always wanted to do but haven’t been able to do before.

How this urge manifests is as different as the individual people out there. Maybe you’ve always wanted to travel abroad, go on a cross-country road trip, or live in a new city. Perhaps it’s time to challenge yourself and train for that marathon you’ve dreamed of running. Have you always wanted a tattoo but your ex hated body art?

Newly unfettered by the bonds of marriage, one way to celebrate divorce is to indulge these whims.

Related Reading: Breaking Down Divorce Rates by Generation

Reinvent Yourself

Along the same lines, starting over means that you have the opportunity to start fresh and reinvent yourself. You can revamp your personal style, update your wardrobe, or get in shape. Now you have the freedom to release your dormant passions, experiment with new ones, and become the best version of yourself.

People have come up with all manner of ways to celebrate divorce. From gift cards and bumper stickers to massive parties and completely retooling their lives, endless possibilities await.

People react to ending a marriage in a variety of fashions. But it’s probably best to celebrate divorce in a positive way, to revel rather than mourn. Especially if you have children, it’s important to keep things amicable. You’ll have to deal with your ex on a continual basis, and rubbing their nose in it will likely lead to bad feelings and friction.

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The old maxim goes: never talk politics or religion in polite company.

It’s taken numerous forms over the years, but that’s the general gist. And it’s solid advice. People feel passionate about these topics and conversations often become heated. Friendships have ended for less.

It’s one thing if coworkers or even friends have drastically different political beliefs. This often leads to difficult interactions in social situations or at your job. That’s hard enough to handle. But it’s something else when it’s your spouse.

In reality, politics and political leanings often have a huge impact on the stability of relationships and marriages. Ongoing political disagreements often lead to divorce. And it’s only getting worse.

With divisive political figures, most notably Donald Trump, amongst others, and contentious issues cropping up on a regular basis, it’s increasingly common to see cases where politics cause divorce.

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The Trump Effect

Popularized as “The Trump Effect,” the 45th President of the United States had a significant impact on divorce and relationships. He mobilized a wave of supporters, exploited key differences, and created a significant rift in many circumstances.

His presence in the Oval Office also had a substantial impact on personal relationships. Friendships ended, families were at odds, and marriages came to an end, all because of individual feelings toward the former POTUS. A trend that has continued.

One of the most highly publicized examples is the case of Gayle McCormick. The 73-year-old retired California prison guard divorced her husband of 22 years because he voted for Trump. She called it a “deal-breaker” and said she felt “betrayed.”

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Generational Differences and Politics

While McCormick’s case may be the most well-known, she’s nowhere near the only one to react this way. In December 2016, a poll of 6000 people found that 16% of those who responded stopped talking to a friend or family member as a direct result of the election. 17% also said they blocked friends or family on social media for the same reasons.

Wakefield Research, a marketing firm, also conducted a similar survey. Their in-depth study of 1000 “nationally representative U.S. adults” found comparable results.

Their collected data indicates that 11% of Americans, more than one in ten, have ended relationships over political differences.

For younger generations, this number climbs steeply.

• According to the responses, 22% of Millennials, more than one-fifth, have ended a romantic relationship because of political strife.
• 22% of people in the Wakefield survey know someone “whose marriage or relationship has been negatively impacted specifically due to President Trump’s election.”
• This number skyrockets for younger people, spiking to 35% for Millennials.

Related Reading: Breaking Down Divorce Rates By Generation

Political Differences and Divorce

Politics and divorce often go hand in hand. Such disputes have always been a huge source of shattered marriages. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon. But what can you do if you and your spouse fall on opposite ends of the political spectrum?

Such conflict can kill relationships and lead to divorce. Can is the keyword.

Just because such differences often cause conflict that ends marriages, that doesn’t mean they will. It’s not inevitable.

Every situation involves different people and no two play out exactly the same. If you and your spouse have political disagreements, whether that leads to divorce depends on you.

Some couples are able to work around opposing views. It may take time and effort, or even steps like counseling, but it may be possible. One approach is to focus on the values you share instead of those you don’t.

People from all walks of life, backgrounds, and political parties marry and lead happy lives. It happens all the time. But even if a couple finds a temporary solution, that may not be the best base for a successful marriage.

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Ignorance is not Bliss

Pretending a disagreement doesn’t exist isn’t a great strategy. Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away.

It may work in the short term, but it can lurk under the surface and cause unseen, unacknowledged tension. In the end, burying it may only lead to a bigger fight down the road.

At some point, if you can’t find a way to comfortably live together, you may need to reexamine your marriage.

Some differences are simply too profound, too fundamental to get past. No matter how much you care about one another, you may need to take a long, hard look at your situation and give it an honest evaluation.

Can you continue to live with and love a person you disagree with on a basic, deep-down level?

Only you can answer that question for yourself, but it’s one you need to figure out eventually. At some point, the detriments start to outweigh the benefits and it’s important to determine what you need and what’s in your best interest.

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Divorce often turn crazy and twisted, but hopefully, yours doesn’t get this nuts. In Port Orchard, Washington, a man recently pleaded guilty to perjury and forgery in one of the most bizarre divorce stories we’ve heard in a while.

And it just keeps getting weirder as it develops. It’s like a how-to book about how not to handle divorce, child custody, and child support proceedings.

So What Happened With The Kimmels?

Brian Kimmell forged his then wife’s signature on divorce papers even though they had already agreed to end their ten-year marriage.

They settled on terms, divided their shared property, and even arranged visitation for their son. On all fronts, everything was civil. What happened next completely surprised his wife, Cassie Kimmell.

First off, Brian Kimmell was staying at his wife’s house when this all occurred in October 2015. A member of the Navy, he was stationed in San Diego. He went back to Washington to visit and watch his son play football.

At some point, he went to the courthouse, by himself, and filed the forged divorce papers.

• In the process of submitting the fraudulent documents, he also took it upon himself to alter a few details.
• Instead of the $1000 a month in child support the couple agreed to, he changed that number to $700.
• Also, according to their deal, he would get their son for a month each summer. For his modified arrangement, Kimmell upped that by a few weeks.

What Were The Motives?

Sure, it’s extreme, but up to this point, the motives seem clear. Kimmell wanted to pay less money for child support and spend more time with his son. Those are both common goals in divorce and child custody cases, even though his methods were shady.

While those motives probably played a role, the case takes yet another turn.

It appears Kimmell also married another woman while still legally bound to his first wife.

Social media posts reportedly show he wed someone else in March 2015, eight months prior.

As a result of his deception, the courts reversed the original divorce. They then completed the process again, with Cassie Kimmell’s actual signature this time.

Only instead of the agreed-upon terms, the court ordered:

• Brian Kimmell to pay $1300 a month in child support.
• Additionally, he received no visitation with their son.
• On top of that, he had to pay his ex $32,000,
• as well as legal fees for the second divorce and the ensuing criminal case.

It Turned Into a Criminal Case.

The Kitsap County prosecutors initially declined to pursue criminal charges. But it doesn’t end there. It took some time, and persistence and prodding from Cassie Kimmell, but the case moved forward.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Services—yes, the NCIS from the TV show—got involved. They even called in handwriting experts.

Eventually, they filed felony perjury and forgery charges against Brian Kimmell in May 2017.

At some point, he reportedly went AWOL from the Navy and received a general discharge. Ultimately, the police pulled him over for speeding and arrested him in Texas. He was then flown back to Washington in handcuffs.

In the end, after all, was said and done, Brian Kimmell paid thousands of extra dollars, lost visitation with his son, and received a six-month house arrest sentence.

What’s the moral of this story?

You can take any number of lesson from the epic divorce saga of Brian Kimmell. Perhaps the biggest is, though divorce is a long, complicated process, and it’s tempting to take shortcuts, that’s not always the best idea.

Hopefully, you’re not considering anything quite this drastic, or illegal. Still, cutting corners and trying to get things over and done with as fast as possible can come back to bite you.

At the very least, shortcuts often damage your case. You may agree to an unfair split or a less-than-ideal custody arrangement.

Divorce and divorce settlements have a huge impact on every aspect of your life. It’s vital to handle your situation with care and make sure you come out with your best foot forward.

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