After nearly two years of separation, we learned last week that Jennifer Garner has finally filed for divorce from Ben Affleck.
The move came as something of a surprise, as it had been rumored that Affleck and Garner were on the verge of getting back together.
Throughout their separation, Affleck had maintained residence in a guesthouse located on the same property as the mansion in which he’d lived with his wife and kids.
Now, TMZ is reporting that Ben and Jen are through dragging their feet, and are now acting fast to make their marriage a thing of the past.
Ben is moving out of the guesthouse and into a more permanent home; lawyers are working around the clock to hammer out a divorce settlement; and in perhaps the surest sign that the marriage is really over, Ben is reportedly dating someone new.
“He’s ready to move on,” a source tells TMZ.
The insider adds that while Ben has found someone new, the relationship is “not serious.”
Experts speculate that it’ll be a minimum of six months before the divorce is finalized.
For the past 22 months, Affleck and Garner have reportedly both been focused on making repairing their marriage.
The downside of that is that they’ve made no progress in terms of working out a divorce settlement both parties can agree to.
As for what prompted Garner to finally file after so many failed reconciliation attempts, sources say she and Ben hit a rough patch that culminated in Ben’s recent rehab stay.
Jen was apparently supportive throughout Ben’s treatment, but the dark period of time before he checked in was apparently bad enough to convince both parties that it was time to call it quits.
According to TMZ, there’s no prenup, and there’s been no discussion of dividing up assets, so the split could be a complicated one.
Fortunately, it shouldn’t be too messy from an emotional standpoint.
The separation has reportedly been amicable, and both Ben and Jen are said to be prioritizing their kids’ happiness over their own personal disagreements.
