And Now For The Really Important Question—Who Gets the Dog?

Breaking Bad’s Bob Odenkirk, portraying Marshall Eriksen’s former boss on How I Met Your Mother, barely holds back tears when grappling with this issue. “Darlene was a great girl. I trusted her," he claims. "Then she took everything – my house, my car, my dog, Tugboat…I watched as Darlene took everything out of my life like a deranged surgeon hacking out organs.”

Odenkirk’s concerns were similar to my own when it came to my beloved dog, Oliver. Who would get him?

Meeting Your Match Online

So, I was the worst online dater on the planet. Many of my friends have met great guys through Internet dating sites. I, on the other hand, not so much. I knew I was in trouble after signing up for Match.com, when my initial match was my first cousin. Not a happy surprise, and no doubt, a bad omen. My other attempts failed miserably too. Either I met younger guys who wanted to be with a woman with experience, or I encountered men who were much older, and I just could not get excited about them.

Know Your Mojo

You just got dumped by your husband of 21 years for his assistant, so what do you do? After a debilitating divorce, one of the first powerful urges most people feel is to be with someone new as soon as possible. Dating sites are ubiquitous with Match, eHarmony, JDate, Christian Singles and even FarmersOnly.com. Your single girlfriends are bound to be clamoring for you to go out to the most happening bars, but before hitting the tantalizing dating scene, it is important to determine what you are looking for so that you will have greater success in finding it.

Spirituality is Overrated

In the most popular divorce books for women, memoirs such as Wild and Eat, Pray, Love, the female protagonists both seem to go on a spiritual journey to find satisfaction and redemption. But what about women who work full time or have kids to raise? They may not have the time, effort or means to take protracted journeys to distant countries or to traverse challenging mountain trails.

Labels and You

When divorcing during her 30s or 40s, a woman cannot avoid labels. So, who are you?

• The Cougar. It worked for Demi Moore for a while and is a route many women choose. After all, it is always gratifying to have a little arm candy as your date. Younger men are often attracted to older women who possess experience and confidence. Girls their age just may not be able to hold their attention for long.

5 Ways to Regain Your Confidence After a Devastating Split

Getting Back On Your Game

One of the toughest goals to achieve after a debilitating divorce is to regain one's confidence. When I first entered the fray, others told me that I would not feel better about myself for at least a year. I scoffed and assumed they had to be wrong. After all, isn't it a common occurrence for a husband to leave his wife for the lusty legal assistant? But they were right. Hopefully, it will take you less time!