The divorce process can be tremendously emotional. Because of this, many people who are facing marriage dissolution try to finalize the process as quickly as possible. While that might help you move onto the next stage of your life, rushing through your divorce can be problematic. You may miss out on assets that you’re otherwise entitled to, and your spouse may take advantage of you when it comes to parenting time with your children.
Don’t let your spouse run the show in your divorce. If you’re averse to conflict in your divorce and are afraid that confronting contentious situations will drive you to hasty resolution, you should consider implementing these tips to help reduce conflict and give you the time that you need to ensure that you’re obtaining a fair outcome in your marriage dissolution:
- Try to see the other side of the argument: Regardless of the subject matter of a dispute, everyone thinks that they’re right when a disagreement arises. And each party thinks that they’re justified in taking their position. If you can put yourself in your spouse’s shoes, you can gain some perspective and better understand why they feel the way that they do. This can help further divorce settlement talks while reducing conflict.
- Reflect on your positions: Although you need to advocate for what you want out of a divorce, you need be honest with yourself about the positions that you’re taking. You may find that there are areas where you’ve made mistakes or aren’t clearly articulating what you want. If you can appropriately reflect on these matters, you can help reset the issues, which will probably lessen the attacks that your spouse makes toward you.
- Pick your battles: You don’t have to win every disagreement that comes up in your divorce. In fact, trying to do so can be exhausting. That’s why you should be discreet in choosing when you want to really push back against your spouse. Don’t get us wrong, there are certainly times when you need to do that, but you should conserve your energy for fights that really matter rather than wasting it on the minute details.
- Be thoughtful in your responses: Your spouse’s assertions might push your buttons. When that happens, try to avoid a quick, emotionally charged reaction. Instead, take some time to cool off and think through how you can respond in a professional yet assertive manner.
- Focus on the issue before you: As you navigate your divorce, your spouse might try to drag you down into issues that are irrelevant to your divorce. Try to avoid this and the conflict it brings by redirecting your spouse’s attention to the matter at hand.
- Try to forgive: There’s a reason that conflict often arises in divorce. The parties involved are usually hurt in one way or another, and everyone is trying to get through the process in the best way they know how. So, when conflict does come up, try to minimize it but also try to be forgiving. Hopefully, your spouse will do the same in return, which will tamp down the temperature in your marriage dissolution.
A bright future is on the horizon
The future can seem pretty dark when you’re heading into a high-conflict divorce. But you do have a post-divorce life waiting for you. You’ll get through this. Stay strong, find support and remain optimistic. As you’re doing that, if you need a legal ally in your corner, please feel free to reach out to a legal team like ours for the help that you need.