When you’re going through a challenging time in life, sharing a quote can be surprisingly comforting. They can make you laugh, or make you cry. They can inspire you and motivate you. Most of all, they make you feel like you’re not alone. Maybe that’s why divorce quotes are so popular.
The Power of Inspirational Quotes
Scientists and psychologists have theorized at length about why so many of us are so attracted to quotes. (If you wonder just how many of us actually enjoy reading quotes, do a quick Google search of the word “quotes.” You will find over 1,500,000,000 results!)
Some believe that, as our lives get faster, we are increasingly drawn to bite-sized morsels of wisdom and inspiration. Others see quotes as an escape that helps us cope with our stressful lives.
Media psychology expert and communications consultant Scott Sobel believes that the appeal of quotes is rooted in biology. He says,
Humans are aspirational. … Leaders and their words – inspirational quotes – affect us on a primal level.
![Words Have Power Sign Words Have Power Sign](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Fotolia_69694336_Subscription_Monthly_M.jpg)
Personally, I think quotes are powerful, not only because they make us think, but because they make us feel. Usually, they make us feel better.
Divorce quotes are the same.
Good divorce quotes can distract us from the pain and craziness of a life in turmoil.
The truth is, quotes are powerful because words have power. They can start wars or end them. Nowhere is that more true than in divorce.
Here are some of the best divorce quotes to help make your divorce journey a little bit easier.
The Definitive List of Divorce Quotes
Quotes About Divorce and the Divorce Process
![Divorce isn't fair Frog Meme: Fair is the four letter F word of divorce.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Fair-3.jpg)
"Fair" is the four letter "F" word of divorce.
![mega_menu_img_03 (1) Lightning at night with quote: Goign through divorce is a lot like getting hit by a Mack truck.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/When-Happily-Ever-After-Ends-Divorce-Quote.jpg)
Going through a divorce is a lot like getting hit by a Mack truck on a deserted highway in the middle of winter - it's cold, lonely, and it hurts like hell.
![mega_menu_img_02 (1) Divorce quote: Divorce is one of the most financially traumatic things you can go through. ...](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Divorce-finance.jpg)
Divorce is one of the most financially traumatic things you can go through. Money spent on getting mad or getting even is money wasted.
![Divorce isn't fair Picture of a dock at sunset with the quote: Divorce is a process, not an event.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Divorce-is-a-process.jpg)
Divorce is a process, not an event.
![Worst Divorce Advice Older woman giving the worst divorce advice, stares over her glasses near the quote "No enemy is worse than bad (divorce) advice."](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Worst-Divorce-Advice.jpg)
No enemy is worse than bad (divorce) advice.
![mega_menu_img_02 (1) Woman facing divorce holding her head in her hands under a tree.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Divorce-only-goes-as-fast-as-the-slowest-person..jpg)
Divorce only goes as fast as the slowest person.
![mega_menu_img_03 (1) Barbed wire with sign: If being married to a narcissist is hell, divorcing a narcissist is hell on steroids.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Divorcing-a-Narcissist-is-Hell.jpg)
If being married to a narcissist is hell, divorcing a narcissist is hell on steroids.
![Divorce isn't fair Divorce Quote on red background: If you spend your divorce fighting so intensely that you create a hatred of biblical proportions ...](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Divorce-Quotes-Karen-Covy.jpg)
If you spend your divorce fighting so intensely that you create a hatred of biblical proportions with your former spouse, your divorce process will be a lot like surviving the plagues - you may get through it, but the scars will be with you forever.
![mega_menu_img_02 (1) Picture of bride and groom with words: People spend years planning their wedding, but they're often too terrified (or too guilty) to spend ten minutes preparing for their divorce.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Preparing-for-Divorce.jpg)
People spend years planning their wedding, but they're often too terrified (or too guilty) to spend ten minutes preparing for their divorce.
![mega_menu_img_03 (1) Young man staring at sunset. Viktor Frankl quote. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Viktor-Frankl-Quote.jpg)
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
![Divorce isn't fair Construction hat, gloves and blueprint on a table with the saying "Divorce is Like Construction" over them.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Divorce-is-like-construction.jpg)
Divorce is like construction. It ALWAYS takes longer and costs more than you think!
![Divorce is a Process Dock at sunset with saying: Divorce is a process, not an event.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Divorce-is-a-Process.jpg)
Divorce is a process, not an event.
Quotes About Deciding Whether to Divorce
![Deciding Which Way to Go Quote from Alice in Wonderland on a scenic picture.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Deciding-Which-Way-to-Go.jpg)
One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter.
![Elizabeth Gilbert Divorce Quote Elizabeth Gilbert Divorce Quote from Eat Pray Love.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Elizabeth-Gilbert-Divorce-Quote.jpg)
The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying; the only thing more impossible than staying was leaving. I didn't want to destroy anything or anybody. I just wanted to slip quietly out the back door, without causing any fuss or consequences, and then not stop running until I reached Greenland.
![don-t-let-your-fear-of-the-unk Woman standing in front of a cornfield, looking in, with saying, "Don't let the fear of the unknown keep you from experiencing a life greater than you have ever known."](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/don-t-let-your-fear-of-the-unk.jpg)
Don't let your fear of the unknown keep you from experiencing a life greater than you have ever known.
![Henry David Thoreau quote Picture of a man pushing a boulder with quote: The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/The-price-of-anything-quote.jpg)
The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.
![Eleanor Roosevelt Quote Eleanor Roosevelt quote: Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you will be criticized anyway.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Eleanor-Roosevelt-Quote.jpg)
Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you will be criticized anyway. You will be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
![Disappointment quote Picture of the back of a lonely woman's head. Quote: Disappointment either destroys you ro drives you. Which will you choose?](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Disappointment-quote.jpg)
Disappointment either destroys you or drives you. Which will you choose?
Divorce Quotes About Court and Lawyers
![mega_menu_img_03 (1) Picture of a lawyer with boxing gloves and quote: A lawyer is never entirely comfortable with a friendly divorce ...](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Divorce-Lawyers.jpg)
A lawyer is never entirely comfortable with a friendly divorce, any more than a good mortician wants to finish his job and have the patient sit up on the table.
![Divorce isn't fair Picture of pig with saying: Arguing with a lawyer is like wrestling with a pig in mud.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Arguing-with-a-Divorce-Lawyer.jpg)
Arguing with a lawyer is like wrestling with a pig in mud. Sooner or later you realize they like it!
![The law isn’t justice.jpg Scales of justice with quote: Thee law isn't justice ...](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/The-law-isn’t-justice.jpg.jpg)
The law isn't justice. It's a very imperfect mechanism. If you press exactly the right buttons and are also lucky, justice may show up in the answers. A mechanism is all the law was ever intended to be.
Quotes About Dealing with the Pain of Divorce
![Maya Angelou quote Picture of giant rock in water with quote: You may not control al lthe events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Maya-Angelou-quote.jpg)
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
![Victor Hugo quote Picture of sunrise over mountains: Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Victor-Hugo-quote.jpg)
Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
![Alice Walker quote Man looking out at mountains with quote: The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Alice-Walker-quote.jpg)
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.
![Joseph Campbell quote Picture of a winding road with quote: We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Joseph-Campbell-quote.jpg)
We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
![Bob Marley quote Sad pug with quote: The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Bob-Marley-quote.jpg)
The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you.
![A divorce is like an amputation Sad woman by ocean with the quote: A divorce is like an amputation. You Survive It. But There's Less of You.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/A-divorce-is-like-an-amputation.jpg)
A divorce is like an amputation. You survive it. But there's less of you.
![The greatest test of courage quote Lightning over raging ocean with quote: The greatest test of courange on the earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/The-greatest-test-of-courage-quote.jpg)
The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.
![Thich Nat Hahn Quote Winter picture with quote that people have a hard time letting go of suffering.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Thich-Nat-Hahn-Quote.jpg)
People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.
![Dolly Parton quote Rainbow picture with quote: The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Dolly-Parton-quote.jpg)
The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain.
![How to Set Goals for Your Divorce Woman hiker standing on a mountain top with the quote: This one step- choosing a goal and sticking to it - changes everything. How to Set Goals for Your Divorce.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/How-to-Set-Goals-for-Your-Divorce.jpg)
This one step - choosing a goal and sticking to it - changes everything.
![Byron Katie Quote Explosion with quote: Stressful thoughts are all fake news.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Byron-Katie-Quote.jpg)
Stressful thoughts are all fake news.
![Divorce is What you are Woman running at sunrise with quote: Divorced is what you are not who you are.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Divorce-is-What-you-are.jpg)
Divorced is what you are, not who you are.
![Holding onto anger Quote by Buddha floating on top of blue mountains.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Holding-onto-anger-is-like-drinking-poison.jpg)
Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
![Paulo Coehlo quote Picture of empty sandals on a road with quote: When in doubt just take the next small step.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Paulo-Coehlo-quote.jpg)
When in doubt just take the next small step.
![Eleanor Roosevelt Quote Picture of seagulls flying. Quote: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Eleanor-Roosevelt-Quote-1.jpg)
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Inspirational Quotes to Get You Through Divorce
![The Other Side of Fear Close up of an eye peering through the darkness with a quote: Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/The-Other-Side-of-Fear.jpg)
Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
![Life is like a Camera Woman looking thorugh a camera at the sea with saying: Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Life-is-like-a-Camera.jpg)
Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important. Capture the good times. Develop from the negatives. And if things don't work out, just take another shot.
(Okay. So maybe it's not exactly that easy. But you get the picture!)
![Courage Man harnessing up to climb a mountain with quote: COurage doesn't mean you don't get afraid. It just means you don't let fear stop you.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Courage.jpg)
Courage doesn't mean you don't get afraid. It just means you don't let fear stop you.
Words of Encouragement for Women
![Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone outght to be Woman looking in teh mirror at her reflection with the quote: Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone should be.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Stop-wearing-your-wishbone-where-your-backbone-outght-to-be.jpg)
Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.
![I never knew how strong I was Back of a person in a hoodie walking by the ocean with the quote: i never knew how strong I was until i had to forgive someone who wasn’t sorry and accept an apology I never received.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/I-never-knew-how-strong-I-was.jpg)
i never knew how strong I was until i had to forgive someone who wasn’t sorry and accept an apology i never received.
![You deserve to be happy Closeup of the inside of an oyster shell with the quote: You deserve to be happy.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/You-deserve-to-be-happy.jpg)
You deserve to be happy.
Divorce Quotes About Kids
![Love your child more than you hate your ex Young girl holding two thumbs up with saying: Love your child more than you hate your ex](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Love-your-child-morethan-you-hate-your-ex..jpg)
Love your child more than you hate your ex.
![Divorcing parents Man holding child's hand with quote: Spouses may divorce, but parents are parents forever.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Divorcing-parents.jpg)
Spouses may divorce, but parents are parents forever.
![Children and divorce Chess game with quote: Your children are not the pawns in the chess game of your divorce.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Children-and-divorce.jpg)
Your children are not the pawns in the chess game of your divorce.
Quotes About Creating Your New Life After Divorce
![Let go of the past Sunrise with quote: Holding on is believing there's only a post; letting go is knowing there is a future.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Let-go-of-the-past.jpg)
Holding on is believing there's only a past. Letting go is knowing there is a future.
![Divorce Quote Woman with a suitcase walking on railroad tracks with quote: Just because the past taps on your shoulder doesn't mean you have to look back.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Divorce-Quote.jpg)
Just because the past taps on your shoulder, doesn't mean you have to look back.
![Turn your wounds into wisdom. Close up of own with quote: Turn your wounds into wisdom.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Turn-your-wounds-into-wisdom..jpg)
Turn your wounds into wisdom.
![Destiny is not a matter of chance Bird flying in the sun with destiny quote: Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Destiny-is-not-a-matter-of-chance.jpg)
Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice.
![George Elliott Quote Sunrise over waterfall: It is never too late to become what you might have been.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/George-Elliott-Quote.jpg)
It is never too late to become what you might have been.
![Socrates Quote Spectacular sunrise over the water with quote: The Secret of Change is to Focus All of Your Energy Not on Fighting the Old, but on Building the New.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Socrates-Quote.jpg)
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.
![Responsibility Close up of dove with Oprah Winfrey quote: You are responsible for your life. ...](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Responsibility.jpg)
You are responsible for your life. You can't keep blaming somebody else for your dysfunction. Life is really about moving on.
![Mark Twain Quote Picture of a boat stearing wheel with Mark Twain quote: Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Mark-Twain-Quote.jpg)
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
![Eleanor Roosevelt quote Eleanor Roosevelt Quote on scenic background: The purpose of life is to live it.](https://karencovy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Eleanor-Roosevelt-quote.jpg)
The purpose of life is to live it, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
What's Your Favorite Divorce Quote?
Whether you’re in the mood to laugh, to cry, to be motivated, or to be inspired, divorce quotes can do it all. They can dispense great divorce advice, and inspire you to go on. They can help you let go, or help you hang on.
If you have a favorite divorce quote that I haven't listed here, please share it in the comments!
(And if you're looking for funny divorce quotes, I've got those too! Check out, Funny Divorce Quotes: 23 Divorce Memes That (Might) Make You Laugh!)
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This post was originally written on February 27, 2018 , and update on Jan. 22, 2024.
The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. Thats my favorite. Thanks for the quotes
You’re welcome!
If I am lucky, I will have a third of my life left. I will do my best to be happy in that time.
Doing your best is all you can do!
Karen
I have been divorced since 2000. I am grateful I found your site. I want to remember Dolly Parton’s quote ..if you want the rainbow you’ve got to put up with the rain. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Karen
What can you do if you are a stay at home house wife, married 30 years, and you spouse demands a divorce and he has moved all the money out of your joint bank accounts to somewhere else. Left the house to be with the other women in another state. Only communication in the last six months is verbally abusive or text. Has been paying all the bills but won’t give me any extra money for food or other expenses. And I know he has seen an attorney recently. How do I get an attorney with no money?
Gena
Gena,
I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through! From the sound of it, you definitely need a good lawyer!
First off, many lawyers provide free consultations, so you can usually get some legal advice for free. In some states, a judge can make your spouse pay your attorney’s fees if you have no money and he has money. Knowing that, some lawyers will take your case with little or no money down and try to go after your spouse for their fees right from the start.
If you can’t get a lawyer to do that, you have to get creative about where you find money. Often times divorcing people get loans from their friends or family. (I know. That’s not a great option. But, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.)
Some people put the lawyer’s fees on a credit card. (Again, that’s not the best option, but if you have a credit card, that’s at least an option.) Others sell personal property to raise money for the lawyer’s fees. If you’re not working, you could also try to get a job and save some money. Even if it’s just part time, every little bit will help.
I wish I had an easier answer for you. Unfortunately, this is the best I can do.
Karen
Tudn your wounds in to wisdom
I want both of my parents to know that they are loved, and that they are going to be okay after the divorce is finalized. Any advice? Or words that could help them?
First of all, can I tell you that you’re amazing?! A lot of children of divorcing parents (even adult children) are more concerned about how their parents’ divorce will affect THEM than they are about what it will do to their parents! So, kudos to you for being so empathic and really caring about your parents!
As far as what you can say to let them know that they will be okay after the divorce, that’s a little harder. You can tell them they will be okay, but they probably won’t believe you. (Sorry!) In order for them to really believe they will be okay, they need to start experiencing it for themselves. That takes time. It takes creating some distance from their divorce. The sooner they can work through their issues and finalize their divorce, the sooner they can start to create that distance. The sooner they have distance, the sooner they will start to heal.
Finally, telling both your parents that you love them no matter what happens is HUGE! Don’t underestimate the power of that.
I wish you the best.
Karen
Karen,
Thank you for the quotes. Many of them hit home for me. Without devulging the obvious, I have decide to follow my heart for direction in coping with this process. I have followed the voice of many in the past and never felt it was my path. Now that I lead with the heart, I am being outcasted. And, in many instances, I have hung on to the past for far too long. But now that I decide to let go (for healthier life reasons) and move forward to the future, I am being criticized for it. I know this sounds a bit grey area-ish, but am I wrong to “Lead with the Heart”.
I don’t think that casting things in terms of “right” and “wrong” in this area is helpful. All any of us can do is our best. If you are doing what you believe is best, then there is nothing more you can do.
Thank you so much for these quotes! They’re making me both smile & cry a little. I’ve been w/the same man my entire life; since 15 & we just turned 37. We have been separated for almost 2.5 yrs, but neither of us can quite move on..but yet we can’t be together. It’s time for both of us to start over. The quote about not being gone line enough but being gone too long really hit home. ????
You’re welcome! I’m glad they help, at least a little!
Hang in there!
heart touching words
thank you for sharing
You’re welcome!
Dear Karen,
I’ve been going through divorce since last June and have a 2 years old boy. Today I decided to write down some inspring quotes to cheer me up when I need. And many notes about things I need to remember as a single mother; financial tips, tips for raising a child alone..I am glad that I found your page and wrote down many quotes from yours. I think my favorite one is; “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any”
Thank you.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad that these divorce quotes helped to inspire you and cheer you up!
Best,
Karen
What a post! That is so chock full of useful information I can’t wait
to dig deep and start using the resources you’ve given me.
Your exuberance is refreshing.
Thanks.