One concern that people often have when facing divorce is the prospect of having a high-conflict case. They do not want to go through that, they don’t want to put their children through it, and they really hope they can keep conflict to a minimum while focusing on reasonable results regarding child custody, property division and the like. Is this realistically possible?
It certainly is. The first thing to do is to settle on a common goal. For parents, the goal is often to provide the best possible life for the children. For business owners, the goal may be to keep the business afloat even through the divorce. When you and your spouse have a common goal that you can work toward together, it lowers the amount of conflict between you.
Another key is mutual respect. Divorce becomes most contentious when you are angry with each other and you no longer respect one another. Instead, you should respect your spouse and ask them to respect you, as well. Don’t think of yourselves as being at odds or working against one another. Instead, think of yourselves as two people who can work together to arrive at a solution that is good for both of them. This mindset reduces conflict and promotes an outcome that you can both approve of.
There are many factors that influence the level of conflict. Why are you getting divorced? What is your spouse’s personality like? What do you have at stake? No matter what your situation looks like, make sure you are well aware of your legal options. Understanding your rights regarding the division of the marital property, the custody of any children and issues of support is essential to achieving a positive outcome with your divorce.