Supreme Court Rules That You Can't Erase Your Divorce Because You Changed Your Mind

A recently divorced couple gets back together but the Supreme Court refuses to undo their divorce.

Remember the good ole days of grade school recess when you’d make a mistake, cry out, “Do over!” and you were given a fresh slate in whatever game you were playing? That was great for the playground, but one couple is learning the hard way that you can’t get a tabula rasa that easily in real life.

The couple is Terrie Harmon and her ex-husband Thomas McCarron of New Hampshire. They had been married for 24 years when they chose to file for divorce in January 2014 – a decision that was finalized the following July. Just a few months later in March 2015, the couple filed a joint motion for their divorce to essentially be dissolved. It turns out, though, after taking the decision all the way to the state’s Supreme Court, you can’t just make a divorce magically disappear because you changed your mind.

While the couple did not respond to the Associated Press’ question, “Why not just remarry?,’ Attorney Josh Gordon – who was involved in the decision made at the lower court – said he believes it “was partly sentimental, and partly that they had some business interests that a divorce and remarry would be more complicated than undoing the divorce.”

Tough shit.

Divorce is a big deal. A really big deal. It’s an emotional, exhausting, expensive, arduous process and it’s designed that way for a very important reason.

If you’re going to file, and then follow through, you’re going to go through a lot of thoughts and feelings and conversations. Should you get to the end of the whole damn thing and you’re still positive you want a divorce from your spouse then it’s probably the right choice for you. There’s no mulligan, no do over. You are divorced. The law in New Hampshire doesn’t care that you’re back together or that you have some “business interests” which are going to be complicated if you just remarry. The law is there for a reason.

If you think you made a mistake and want to get back together with your ex, by all means go for it. Congratulations. Mazel tov. More power to you. Head on over to the courthouse – you obviously know where it is – get a marriage license and go have a second wedding. And a second honeymoon. More presents! Best wishes.

But that’s the only option. You used the time and legal resources of those involved in your decision to divorce – the decision both parties wanted – and you can’t just erase that because your 2015 taxes are going to be complicated.