Not every divorce is meant to be stressful. If you follow the right approach, you can have an amicable divorce that causes minimal stress and interruption in your life. So, what is an amicable divorce? It is a kind of divorce where both spouses take steps to complete their divorce terms in a respectful and cooperative way, usually out of court.
Most people think a friendly divorce is an impossible thing. The fact is that it is possible. So, how does the procedure for an amicable divorce take place?
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Steps to an Amicable Divorce
Here are the different steps that you can take to an amicable divorce:
1. The Healing Process
Avoid rushing into file for divorce the moment you decide that your marriage can no longer work. In other words, you should not take immediate action when your emotions are high. You should give yourself time to heal from the moment your relationship started breaking up. Jumping right into a divorce cannot fix the stress, hurt, and feelings of anxiety that you experience due to your marriage ending.
The process of healing must start before you start the process of divorce. And this healing part plays an important role in ensuring a more amicable divorce.
- You can take the help of individual counselling
- Talk about your feelings, in the absence of your spouse, to process the emotions you are feeling
- A divorce attorney can not only help you with an amicable divorce but also help you think about the next 6 months or 6 years of your life
2. Learn to Communicate Properly with Your Spouse
Keep in mind that you will need to communicate with your spouse during the divorce process. If you have kids with them, you will have to talk to your spouse for the rest of your life. So, it is important to find the right approach to communicate with your spouse.
A significant percentage of divorces take place due to poor communication between partners. When it comes to amicable communication, there is no room for intimacy. You also will not have to be concerned about any emotional implications.
- You can use email to communicate with your spouse
- Learn to communicate with your partner the way you would communicate with a colleague or classmate when working on a project
- Follow a clear, concise, and efficient approach
- Avoid engaging in deeply personal communication and focus more on efficiency
Make sure any feelings of pain do not motivate your communication style or content.
3. Hire a Divorce Attorney
An amicable divorce doesn’t mean that you and your spouse will agree on every decision. There will almost always be differences of opinion in different areas, including:
- Child custody
- Alimony
- Division of property
This is where the important role of a divorce lawyer comes into the picture. It is not always possible to negotiate independently. A specialized attorney can simplify the process for you.
4. Be Focused on Your Shared Goals
An amicable divorce becomes even more important in a setting where there are shared assets and responsibilities. Many times not only are children involved, but also family businesses. The objective of an amicable divorce, in such situations, is to ensure your children’s best interests. You do not want them to experience stress due to your divorce.
Amicable divorces typically involve co-parenting. It will be required to create a parenting plan with your children’s needs being the top priority. This will require putting aside both your feelings aside and giving priority to your children’s feelings.
There are many other things you can do to make your divorce more amicable. You should be clear about divorcing without blaming each other. Focus on negotiating the terms of your divorce in good faith. Whatever decisions you make, you must place the needs of your children first.
