I guess it's been a long time in coming, or maybe it hasn't been when compared to some others; but the divorce is finally under way. At one of my appointments with my therapist, he suggested doing the divorce myself. There are books available that include all of the instructions and forms, and this was really how The Dick wanted it to be — no attorneys, no arbitration, no trial.

So I told him about this book, and he bought it. When he came to town, we sat down and filled out all the forms. It wasn't too complicated, although there were several things to be filled out. There was the actual divorce paperwork; then the marital separation agreement and the child custody arrangement had to be completed. Since we had agreed on everything, these were fairly easy, as well.

Once everything was done, the papers had to be notarized and then filed with the court. As this is an uncontested divorce, it could be finalized in as little as 30 days. I expect it to take longer, but it was a hell of a lot cheaper than using an attorney, and we were able to do this together and remain amicable throughout the entire process.

In fact, after filing the papers at the courthouse, we actually went and had lunch, and while he was in town, he stayed at the house. He will always be part of my life, and I wouldn't want it any other way. But it does feel good to finally have some closure to the marriage.