Why Delaying Your Divorce Is A BAD Idea (In Most Cases)

Let’s be real: nobody wants to file for divorce. However, if you’re in a situation where it’s clearly heading that way and you’re just dragging your feet, this one’s for you.

Waiting usually makes things worse. Here’s why:

1. The Financial Damage Adds Up

Every month you wait is another month of shared bills, joint accounts, joint credit cards, and joint liability. You might think you’re keeping things “amicable,” but if your spouse is out there racking up debt or hiding assets while you’re stalling, that’s on your tab too.

In Illinois and Michigan, both spouses have fiduciary duties to one another until the divorce is finalized. That means if your partner starts spending irresponsibly or moving money around, you could be in for a mess you could’ve avoided by filing sooner.

2. The Emotional Toll Is Real

Delaying a divorce doesn’t mean delaying the stress. It just means stretching it out longer.

Clients who wait often end up exhausted, anxious, stuck in limbo, and unsure how to move forward with their lives. If you’ve got kids in the picture, they may feel that tension too. The longer things are unclear = the more uncertainty they can absorb.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for everyone is rip the bandage off and get clarity instead of slowly peeling away.

3. The Legal Landscape Can Shift

This one’s less obvious, but it matters: laws change. Property values change. Judges change. In both Illinois and Michigan, small shifts in legal precedent or economic conditions could impact how your case is handled.

Waiting a year could mean:

• A judge less favorable to your parenting plan
• A shift in spousal support calculations
• An increase in the value of an asset you don’t get to keep

Bottom line: Procrastination can cost you, literally.

4. The Sooner You File, The Sooner You Heal

Let’s not pretend divorce is easy. It’s not, but delaying it only postpones the inevitable.

Filing doesn’t merely start a legal process. It starts a healing process. A clean break. A chance to move forward and start rebuilding emotionally, financially, and practically.

There’s power in making the first move. There’s momentum in deciding to take back control of your life.

5. Alimony Clocks Don’t Stop Ticking

Here’s something most people don’t know: In Illinois, alimony (aka “maintenance”) is tied to the length of the marriage.

The courts use a schedule to calculate how long support payments last, based on how long you were married when you filed. When you hit 20 years of marriage, the court can order maintenance for the full duration of the marriage, or indefinitely.

Let that sink in.

If you’re approaching a major anniversary (5, 10, 15, 20 years), you’re also potentially stepping into a new tier of long-term financial obligations. If you’re close to that 20-year mark, waiting just a few more months might lock you into indefinite support.

So yes, timing matters a lot. For more, see 750 ILCS 5/504, especially subsection (b-1)(1)(B).

Waiting Rarely Helps.

If you’re unsure about your next steps, talk to someone who’s done this a few times before (perhaps a few thousand). Our seasoned Chicago, IL divorce lawyer can help you figure out when it’s time to take action and how to do it with clarity and strategy.

We don’t say this to scare you. We say it because we’ve seen what happens when people wait too long.

If you’re ready to stop waiting and start moving forward, we’re ready when you are.

Merel Family Law serves families in Illinois and Michigan with clarity, compassion, and real-world solutions.