As experienced family law lawyers in Sydney, the team at Lapointe Family Law are certainly no strangers when it comes to stigmas surrounding divorce.
While divorce may have become significantly more ‘socially acceptable’ in recent years, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding ending a marriage, especially in countries outside of Australia. So, what does ‘stigma’ mean exactly? A stigma can be defined as a range of misconceptions and beliefs that something is negative and disgraceful.
What Are Some of the Stigmas Surrounding Divorce?
Some common stigmas surrounding divorce include:
- Divorce is a sign of failure.
- The only acceptable reason for divorce.
- Divorce is a disgrace for the extended family.
- Divorced women are not desirable.
- If a couple is getting a divorce, one of them must have been cheating.
Certain stigmas are associated with particular religious or cultural groups, but it is safe to say that these misconceptions and negative assumptions transcend religion and culture, thus affecting the population as a whole.
Why Getting Rid of Stigmas is So Important
The biggest issue with the stigma surrounding divorce is that it keeps people in unhealthy marriages. Someone could be absolutely miserable but feel as though they are unable to leave because of public perception and how they may be treated by their own friends and family members.
The other issue is that stigma makes the process so much harder for divorcing couples. The mental strain of being judged and labelled a ‘failure’ can cause certain people to experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
How You Can Help in Destigmatising Divorce
- Be supportive of any of your friends that are going through a divorce.
- Do research into some of the reasons why people get a divorce.
- Avoid using cliches and gossiping about those that are going through a divorce.
- Avoid speculating and coming up with your own conclusions.
At the end of the day, divorce is a very painful experience to go through and no one really knows the intricacies that go on in the marriage that ultimately lead to divorce. It is best to be as kind and understanding as possible.
As professional family law lawyers in Sydney, we believe that the destigmatisation of divorce is very important. If you feel that you need the help and guidance of professional family lawyers, please feel free to get in touch with the expert and friendly team at Lapointe Family Law today.