Whether the death is sudden or whether it is expected for a long time, living to see your spouse pass away will devastate you. One day you’ll be married, the next, you’ll be left facing life alone for the first time in years.
If you’re ever unfortunate enough to lose your spouse, regardless of whether you were married to them for one year or whether you were both together for half a century, you will go through the grieving process. You’ll face a range of intense emotions each day, and you’ll have to get used to a number of lifestyle changes.
To ensure that you are able to cope and deal with the loss of your spouse in as healthy a manner as possible, you must heed the advice laid out below.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
Regardless of how you feel about the passing of your spouse — whether you feel numb, shocked, heartbroken, angry, anxious, or even relieved — you cannot be too hard on yourself. Don’t fight your emotions; instead, embrace them. Nobody is going to judge you for grieving in your own unique way, so be sure to go easy on yourself no matter how you are feeling.
The most important thing to remember in this instance is that there is no right way to feel after you have undergone the trauma of losing your spouse. Something else you must remember is that everybody copes with the death of their partner differently, so comparing another person’s reaction to your own is never a healthy thing to do.
Sort out the legalities of the death
Sorting out the legalities of your spouse’s death doesn’t have to be the first thing that you do once he or she has passed — in the interest of allowing yourself time and space to grieve, your first priority should actually be to tend to your emotional and mental wellbeing. Unfortunately, however, you cannot allow this all-important task to drag on for too long, as doing that will just cause you more pain going forward. If you drag out the job of sorting out the legalities of the passing, you’ll find yourself constantly being faced with reminders about what has happened. As a result, you’ll only upset and hurt yourself more in the long-run.
It is important that you get on with the job of sorting out your spouse’s legal affairs as soon as you feel up to it. Fear not, though, as you don’t necessarily have to face this arduous task alone. There are plenty of professionals out there that will be able to assist you regardless of the specific legal situation that you find yourself in.
If your partner’s will is being contested by another family member, for example, then you could always align yourself with a solicitor that will help you to obtain what is known as the Grant of Representation — once issued to you, this will give you the power to handle the affairs of your deceased partner in the manner he or she wished for them to be handled in. When it comes to finding professionals to partner up with in this instance, look no further than those found at Mr. Probate; these recommended probate solicitors will find you a straightforward solution to obtaining the right to deal with your loved one’s finances.
Dealing with the loss of a spouse is never going to be easy, but if you take the above advice, you’ll find it much easier to cope with this type of traumatic loss.
