Nobody’s perfect. And going through divorce puts everyone at risk of acting their worst. Besides dragging out the proceedings for months longer than necessary, an acrimonious divorce can traumatize your children and damage your mental well-being.
Is it possible for you to divorce your spouse in a way that never upsets or aggravates anybody? Probably not. But the more thoughtfully and sensitively you proceed, the easier getting divorced can be. Here are five tips as provided by Psychology Today:
- Think carefully before you ask for a divorce. Is it what you really want?
- Make your children your first priority, and ask your spouse to do the same. Avoid arguing with your spouse in front of the kids, and don’t misuse things like child custody and child support to “get back” at your husband or wife. It only puts the children in the middle of your conflict.
- Be prepared to compromise. It’s rare for either spouse to get everything they want in divorce. Instead, focus on what matters most to you, and try to understand what is important to your spouse. Somewhere in the middle is a settlement that both of you can live with.
- Try to keep calm during negotiations. If you feel yourself becoming mad or upset, take a break.
- Consider what you want your future to look like. Take steps toward fulfilling those goals. Ever thought about changing careers? With a reasonable property division settlement, you might be ready to make it happen.
Not everything is likely to go exactly as planned, but with a carefully tailored legal strategy, you can expect a divorce with a minimum of rancor, delay and cost.
