Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's reason for late divorce filing revealed; estranged couple back in the dating scene?

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck leave the Governors Ball following the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California in a February 24, 2013.Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner officially filed for divorce last week after their highly-publicized separation in 2015. It turns out the 45-year-old actress delayed the filing to lessen the amount of stress for her estranged husband.

On Wednesday, People revealed that Garner timed the divorce filing to make sure that it will not be too difficult for Affleck. The actress allegedly wanted to wait until the "Batman v Superman" star completed his time in rehab for alcohol addiction before moving forward with the divorce process. It was an effort made on Garner's part to minimize the stress on the actor. "Jen waited for the right time," an insider said, adding, "She wasn't going to file for divorce while Ben was struggling. She is very proud of him for getting help."

Daily Mail notes that the former couple have an estimated $100 million in assets to divide. Celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser is currently working with the couple to mediate the settlements. Garner and Affleck filed jointly, which means they filed at the same time, and are both seeking joint custody of their three children.

The Hollywood celebrities got married in 2005 and announced their breakup in June 2015. Since their split, they have remained on amicable terms. Garner and Affleck were even spotted stepping out of a church in L.A. with their kids after an Easter Sunday service.

The "Alias" vet and Oscar-winning actor waited almost two years to file for divorce after originally announcing their split to the public, so it won't be much of surprise if they will take their time in their romantic lives. However, that does not necessarily mean that the two actors have no plans of pursuing other relationships in the future.

"They have not ruled that out in the future," a source close to the two actors said. Meanwhile, another unnamed source claims Garner "wants to start dating" again.