Who runs the world? – Independent strong women that’s who!
Celebrities such as Nicole Kidman are proving that when a divorce takes place there is no stopping a woman: even though at first it may prove to be upsetting, women are knuckling down, focussing on their careers and new relationships and making an even bigger success of their lives than they first imagined.
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise’s 2001 divorce was a shock to us all. They were the power couple, the ideal Hollywood couple. Nicole has now remarried but now she is name-checked in her own right. She has gone on to be one of the most recognisable megastars, won an Oscar and is thought to be worth a whopping £150 million. She emerged from Tom Cruise’s shadow and her own career started to blossom. One of Kidman’s most famous movie roles is Moulin Rouge. During production, director Baz Luhrmann could not stop complimenting Nicole Kidman and her new surge of personality. He stated she was turning the heads of many men, just like her character Satine on the trapeze, and she emerged as her own person.
Nicole Kidman stated that her divorce from Tom Cruise was the best thing that ever happened for her career. This meant that she could focus all her energy and attention on her job. This is the case for many women: time spent on a failing marriage can be better put to use on family and career.
Upon divorce, women tend to reaffirm their priorities and commit to changing their lifestyle. With increased financial independence comes greater financial responsibility and this can be a driving force for career development, whether it’s putting their all into an existing career or a change of course resulting in a new career or business venture.
Clearly, Nicole Kidman didn’t have to worry too much about making ends meet following divorce, but she has said that she channelled her emotions into new, more challenging roles, ultimately resulting in Oscar-winning success. Many woman find that divorce gives them a greater emotional strength and they discover new skills and gain in confidence as their independence grows. A divorce can be a nasty shock to the system but it can also be the wake-up call a woman needs to truly reach her potential.
Just as Nicole Kidman had used divorce as an opportunity to grow as a person, many other women are doing the same. They grab life with both hands and devote their time and energy to discovering who they are as a person and what they want in the future. They then become stable in their lives, self-assured and capable of find happiness in their careers and future on their own terms.
Megan, a solicitor at Grayfords says:
When our clients approach us, no matter what their legal issue, a change is invariably at the root of the problem – either a change they want to make or a change they want to stop from happening. It’s often said that divorce is one of the most stressful changes a person can undergo (along with moving house and the death of a loved one). Grayfords strongly believes that a stressful change needn’t ultimately leave you worse off. After the initial stress, we see our clients change and grow into their new lives. As lawyers, we aren’t counsellors, but we do aim to be your biggest champions throughout the transition period and provide unwavering support to get you through and on track to start a new life beyond divorce.