Each year, many Oregon couples resort to divorce as an option to reduce tensions, disagreements and stress associated with deteriorating relationships. While it is never convenient and rarely peaceful from start to finish, couples can take proactive steps to keep proceedings as productive and drama-free as possible.
In an article shared by the Huffington Post, couples can gain insight into some of the things they can do to keep their divorce peaceful. These include the following suggestions:
- Bury the scorecards: One of the biggest mistakes a divorcing couple can make is to constantly compete in regards to custody, asset allocation and other aspects of divorce. Individuals who keep score and promote themselves as an entitled winner are only more likely to cause chaos and contention.
- Children come first: For couples with children, one of the best ways to keep proceedings peaceful is to put the needs of their children first. Making decisions based off of a child’s well-being, happiness and overall comfort can help each spouse to maintain flexibility and compassion.
- Keep things reasonable: When fights do arise, couples should do their best to be fair, empathetic and understanding. Individuals should avoid making haste judgments, talking badly about their spouse or refusing to listen.
- Forgiveness is crucial: Even though it is one of the hardest things to do, divorcing couples should make every effort to forgive each other and move on from heated disagreements. Couples that hold grudges or are spiteful of each other often have a much harder time finding productive and beneficial agreements in divorce proceedings.
According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 40 to 50 percent of all married couples in the U.S. get divorced.