It takes people 18 months to get over a divorce

October 30, 2009 12:08 PM

The average jilted husband or wife takes 17 months and 26 days to get over a divorce and feel ready to move on, it has been claimed.

A study quizzed 4,000 divorcees about their feelings about a split with their partner, when they started dating other people and how it altered their views on marriage.

While it was found 43 percent of people felt relieved when their Decree Nisi came through, it took 17 months and 26 days after divorce finalisation before most said they were ready to move on.

This is despite the fact that the average Brit started dating again after 15 months and 26 days.

Of course this discrepancy could just be a comment on the sort of people they date for those first two months.

Six out of ten said the feeling of failure was the worst thing to come to terms with while one in five said the initial feeling of loss was harder to deal with than the practical implications of divorce.  Worryingly, one in five people said they didn't think they would ever get over a divorce.

A spokesman for fifties.com, which commissioned the study added: "The research carried out says it takes 17 months to get over divorce once it's finalised, but it's important to remember that people are often separated for a long time before this, so it could feasibly take years for the dust to settle after a split.

"Obviously everyone is different and it will take some longer than others to get over the heartbreak of a split.  "It's also going to greatly depend on which party wanted the divorce in the first place.  "Initially it seems like you will never move on and seeing other people is the last thing on your mind, but slowly you realise there is life after divorce and it's perfectly feasibly to be happy again."

LINKS
fifties.com