Interacting With Your Spouse During a Divorce

Keeping the Peace

Divorce can be very difficult on your emotions, and depending on your relationship with your spouse, those emotions can sometimes cause you to lash out at one another during the proceedings. However, maintaining cordial communication with each other is possible and can sometimes lead to a smoother process. Here are some tips to consider when interacting with your spouse during a divorce.

Set Ground Rules and Boundaries

Consider setting some boundaries for yourself related to communicating with your spouse, including both what you will say to each other and what you won’t tolerate from them. You should consider issues such as what time you will communicate with them, how often you will communicate with them, and what methods you will use to communicate with them. If necessary, you can even set rules if you need a third party to communicate on your behalf.

Keep Your Goal in Mind

Your goal is to move forward after your divorce, and while you may have more specific goals in mind related to issues such as child custody or property division, you ultimately want the process to be complete and to be able to move forward with your life. Raising tension in each interaction you have with your spouse can be counterintuitive to this goal.

Prepare in Advance

If a situation arises where you have to talk to your spouse, whether that be in-person or through another medium, try as much as possible to plan in advance what you will say. You can plan the topics that you wish to talk about ahead of time, and you can even try to think through what you will say related to specific issues. Regardless, planning ahead can help you go into a conversation with expectations, and those expectations can help you reduce any tension you feel and lower the heightened emotions.

Try to Be Positive

Badmouthing, as tempting as it might be, does not truly get anyone where they want to be. Negative talk, in fact, can set your whole process back if those negative interactions end up dragging out the process. As challenging as it might seem, keeping a positive attitude in your interactions with your spouse and avoiding badmouthing can ultimately make the process a bit smoother.

Use Your Divorce Attorney

Remember that you do not have to go through your divorce alone. Your divorce attorney is not only an excellent resource of information, but they can also handle the negotiation process for the settlement agreement and can speak on your behalf if the case goes to court. At Verner Brumley Mueller Parker, our team of attorneys can help you navigate the unique circumstances of your divorce and help you keep your eye on the goal.

To learn more or to get started with a consultation with one of our divorce attorneys, call us at (214) 225-6766 or visit us online.