'It was devastating.'
Sarah Palin is opening up about her split from her husband.
In a recent interview with Christian author James Dobson, the 55-year-old politician said that she found out that her husband, Todd Palin, wanted to call it quits via an email from his legal counsel.
"I found out from an email from an attorney saying that she was hired and that was on June 19th, I'll never forget it," she said, adding that the pair, who tied the knot in 1988, officially filed for divorce in September, one week after their 31st anniversary.
"It was devastating. I thought I got shot," she continued. "... Except for the death of a child, I don't know what could be more [painful]."
Though they have filed for divorce, Sarah said that "it's not over yet."
"We're going through counseling now, so it's not over, over," she said. "Attorneys are getting rich off of us and I don't like that whole system. It makes no sense to me."
Sarah went on to say that "God doesn't want families to split up," adding that "marriage is so extremely important as foundation of our nation."
"It helps make America that much greater, is that security of family. I'm not to the point of wanting mine to be split," Sarah said, before revealing that the couple's five children -- Track, 30, Bristol, 29, Willow, 25, Piper, 18, and Trig, 11 -- "don't like" that their parents are splitting up.
"It helps me," she said of her kids' support. "They're not ones to say, 'Oh, it takes two to tango.' No, they're mad because they have been brought up with that teaching that you have made a covenant with God."
"... My parents, they've been married for 58 years, and my siblings. Everybody's kind of traditional family sticks together through thick and thin because you made a vow to God that through thick and thin, good and bad... you're going to jump whatever hurdles are in front of you and you're going to make it," she continued. "So my kids witnessing what's happening, they don't like it. It makes me feel good because I'm like, 'Well, good. I didn't screw up that part of it anyway. I taught them good.'"
According to court documents obtained by ET back in September, 55-year-old Todd cited the cause of their split as an "incompatibility of temperament between the parties such that they find it impossible to live together as husband and wife."
Todd requested joint custody of his and Sarah's 11-year-old son, Trig. "It is in the best interest of the minor child that the parties have joint legal custody," the documents state, adding that Todd is also requesting "shared physical custody."
Regarding the couple's possessions to be split amid the divorce, the documents state, "The material assets and debts should be divided equitably and fairly."
Watch the video below for more on the Palin family.
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