Divorce is a difficult time, even if you and your spouse are in relative agreement about the separation. Conflict is common in many divorces, but it does not have to be that way.
There are many types of solutions that can help you and your spouse avoid conflict and stay out of a courtroom divorce battle. These three tips will give you some ideas about how to proceed in a collaborative divorce that seeks to reach solutions that work for both of you while minimizing or eliminating conflict.
1. Keep emotions out of decision-making
Although divorce is, by its very nature, an emotional time, that does not mean that you should make decisions based on how you feel at the moment. The decisions you make now will affect your future and the future of your children, if you have them. You need to think and plan for the long term, not necessarily in reaction to your emotions. If you can manage to take emotion out of the equation and look at your divorce from an objective perspective, you can minimize conflict.
2. Be willing to compromise
If you go into your divorce with an inflexible stance, it is likely to heighten conflict. However, if you can find areas where you are willing to give a little and compromise, this position can help negotiations move forward towards reaching an agreeable divorce settlement.
3. Cultivate a strong support system
Divorce means you need to begin shifting your primary support system so that you have people you can rely on outside your marriage. In addition to close family and friends whom you can trust, you may also want to seek out divorce support groups or others who have been through what you are now going through. It is helpful to realize that you are not alone and also to hear from those who have been through it that the situation gets easier and better over time.
If you are seeking to minimize conflict in your divorce, you should contact an attorney who specializes in collaborative divorce and mediation. This type of attorney will help you work to find shared solutions so that you can avoid costly and time-consuming fights in court.
