God does do amazing things. Not always what or when we want, but at a minimum, he gives us the strength to face whatever may come.
As for the legal aspects of this, there's no advantage to ignoring the filing. At the very least ask your attorney (whom I hope you have hired) what a non response would mean. I don't know your state but I'm a lawyer myself (but a nice person!) and sometimes the non response does amount to concessions you would not want to make.
(Sometimes it's less meaningful so do check)
Mainly I want you to consider 2 things, from a LEGAL/Marital perspective...
1) protecting your Financial/Legal interests is NOT "escalation" (unless you choose to seek property that no reasonable person would, which I'm sure you won't).
It's just business and you need to look at it that way. Divorces DO costs money and it's not "mean" to allow that reality to occur; it's not as if you are shoving it in her face or punishing her.
Indeed, if you do too much of this "no response", you might be enabling her to avoid actual costs that she'll probably face later on anyhow. Make sense?
2) I strongly suggest you keep ANY & ALL discussions of legal matters and financial matters to the lawyers. That is what you pay them for AND it's a way to separate the dirty pieces of this, the parts that can lead to emotional escalation and bitterness between you two, from the way you interact with her, emotionally.
So you can GAL and Detach and move forward while treating her the way you wish you had before (without pursuing and yes that is possible)
and without mixing it up with the painful ugly parts of this. Let the lawyers do their jobs. Refer her to your lawyer if she begins to seek more than you believe is reasonable and or if she gets upset.
Referring her to your lawyer (or having hers call yours, etc) will also reduce the chance of a blow out with her.
When my h realized that a divorce would cost what it would cost, he got angry and he seemed to think that telling me he was "going to see a lawyer" would upset me.
It was just the opposite. I wanted him to hear a lawyer tell him some reality. (I told him to "Please see a lawyer asap so you don't have to take my word for it")
For me, seeing a lawyer was incredibly calming as I confirmed my hopes, not my fears, about how I would not be "on the streets with the kids"...
DO see a lawyer as soon as possible. You need not "do" anything but pay a lawyer for some time, but do get information. Truly knowledge is power.
How is your GAL? I don't think you can detach without GAL and truly it makes you obsess less and you will become a happier person
and that is attracting, as is a man with interests and hobbies and passions, it helps you bring a lot to the table.
Keep posting and keep on keeping on!
M: 57 H: 60 M: 35 yrs S30,D28,D19 H off to Alaska 2006 Recon 7/07- 8/08 *2016* X = "ALASKA 2.0" GROUND HOG DAY I File D 10/16 OW DIV 2/26/2018 X marries OW 5/2016
