Cancer and Divorce in Virginia (Part A)

A cancer diagnosis is a terrible thing to receive. Going through a Virginia divorce can be a painful journey. Separately, these events are life altering, but if you are faced with cancer and divorce at the same time, you may be feeling particularly vulnerable and stressed.

Shockingly, once a woman is diagnosed with cancer, her chances of getting divorced increase. This is especially true if the diagnosis is cervical cancer. A study conducted by the European Cancer Conference found that women who developed cervical cancer during their marriage were 40% more likely to get divorced than those without a cancer diagnosis. Men, on the other hand, were only 20% more likely to get divorced when faced with a diagnosis of testicular cancer.

Why is cancer and divorce such a challenging combination?

There are several ways that cancer can complicate a relationship:

• Stress - cancer is stressful, there is no doubt about it. Marriage can be stressful, too. If your marriage is already strained, a cancer diagnosis will most likely compound the challenges you're already facing. There is some anecdotal evidence that when women are diagnosed with cancer, they experience more stress than men. When men are told they have cancer, it is more likely that their wives will stick by them to take care of them, even if they had previously been considering a Virginia divorce.
• Intimacy - when faced with cancer and divorce, one of the key elements that may contribute to the desire to seek a Virginia divorce is the loss of intimacy. Regardless of the type of cancer you are battling, you are most likely taking drugs or chemotherapy that affects your hormones, energy levels and sex drive. It is tough to be intimate when your body is going through so many changes. A diagnosis like cervical cancer can complicate things even more, because not only are you experiencing intimacy challenges from an emotional standpoint, but from a very real physical perspective, as well.

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What Every Virginia Woman Should Know About Divorce is full of thoughtful steps and practical tips that will help you during your separation, divorce, or child custody case including:

-- 20 guidelines for "separation under the same roof"

-- 13 critical factors used to determine spousal support

-- 3 types of property classification recognized by Virginia courts

-- 10 factors your judge must consider in a contested custody case

-- a formula to determine your percentage share of his retirement benefits

-- 38 Financial Records you should be aware of

-- 20 steps to prepare for divorce

-- 7 stages of divorce

-- 40 age-appropriate books about divorce for children

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