Some would say that staying in a failed marriage is not worth the pain. When the financial costs of divorce seem too great, couples may decide to file for bankruptcy before or after filing for divorce. A Chapter 7 filing can relieve the pressure of crushing consumer debt, and Chapter 13 may be useful for couples behind on their mortgage payments and facing foreclosure. Such moves should not be taken without professional advice, as both create long-term problems even as they solve more immediate considerations.

Some spouses, drowning financially because of the underwater mortgage, may be able to short sell the home. In a short sale, the lender pockets all the proceeds from the sale of a property even though it sells for less than the mortgage debt, and the homeowners are relieved of the mortgage payment.

Singing the divorce blues in the time of a gray economy makes for very melancholy music, but some people sing the song anyway because they must.