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Jennifer Garner Wants to Give Ben Affleck Chance to ‘Work on His Health’ Before Finalizing Divorce (Exclusive)

Uh-oh. Jennifer Garner may need to refile for divorce from Ben Affleck.

Related: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner: The Way They Were

According to new court documents, the exes — who announced their separation in June 2015 — were warned by a judge in the L.A. Superior Court that if they can’t settle their case, a judge has the right to call it off. The actress, 46, has been stalling since filing in April 2017. “Jen wanted to give Ben the time and opportunity to work on his health and sobriety,” a source says in the new issue of Us Weekly of the actor, also 46, who has struggled with addiction to alcohol. “She isn’t in a rush.”

And it’s because of their three children: Violet, 12, Seraphina, 9, and Samuel, 6. Garner wants him to “be the best father he can be,” says the insider. “She wants what’s best for the kids.”

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X17online.com

Related: Celebrity Friendly Exes: Hollywood’s Ex-Lovers Who Have Stayed Close

Affleck, however, is ready to move on, especially since he’s been dating SNL producer Lindsay Shookus, 38. “Ben would have liked to have finished this and closed the books sooner,” adds the source, but “Jen just isn’t willing to settle the custody issues until she’s 100 percent certain that he’s clean.”

Now, it’s up to him to rise to the challenge. Says the insider, “She’ll wait for him to prove he is taking it very seriously.”

Related: Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus: A Timeline of Their Relationship

And it seems like he’s rising up to the task already. On August 13, the actor was spotted attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. “This is part of his practice and how he maintains his personal health,” a source revealed. “He’s been doing these classes for months. He’s also been spotted outside of meditation classes as well as meetings. He’s focused on being there for those in his life.”

us weekly
Us Magazine

For more details on Garner and Affleck’s divorce, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly on stands now.

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