If you’re conflict averse, then you’re probably stressing about the possibility of getting divorced. You’ve probably seen movies and television shows depicting aggressive fighting over key divorce legal issues, whether in court or outside of it, oftentimes resulting in emotional breakdowns. While the divorce process can certainly be trying and contentious at times, there are steps you can take to tamp down friction. If you’re successful in doing so, then the process may play out faster, and you might secure more favorable resolution.
There isn’t one specific approach that’s applicable to all circumstances. Instead, here are some tips that you can try to see what works best for you when it comes to reducing the tension and conflict in divorce:
- Maintain a respectful tone without delving into personal attacks.
- Reduce or eliminate face-to-face communication and instead put everything in writing.
- Find which issues are important to your spouse to see if there’s a way to let them “win” on them so that you generate goodwill that you can use to your advantage on issues that are important to you.
- Focus on what’s best for your children rather than what’s best for you.
- Find healthy outlets to help you cope with your frustrations.
- Secure support from family members, friends, mental health professionals and support groups.
- Establish healthy boundaries to keep the divorce’s tension away from other aspects of your life.
Pursue the kind of divorce that you want
It can feel like everything is spinning out of control when you’re going through divorce. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Instead, you can steer your divorce the direction you want it to go and shape it to play out in the manner that you want. That’ll take some strategizing on your part, of course, but that’s something you may be able to successful do with your attorney.