Tips for Dealing with a Contentious Divorce

 Posted on April 18, 2024 in Divorce

When there is a lot of conflict in your marriage, and you and your spouse do not have a civil relationship, getting through your divorce will be difficult. If you and your spouse are furious with each other, neither of you is likely to be willing to compromise on which marital assets you keep or how often you each see the children. Uncontested divorce may still be possible, but there is also a chance that you will need to go through divorce litigation to get a fair outcome. If your divorce is filled with conflict, you must be represented by an aggressive Will County, IL divorce lawyer. You will need strong representation to protect your interests.

Dealing With a High-Conflict Divorce 

Some tips for coping with a contentious divorce include:

• Avoid direct communication - If at all possible, avoid communicating directly with your spouse. Let your attorneys handle any necessary communication between you. During child custody handoffs, consider having a neutral party bring the children back and forth so you do not have to see each other. 
• Do not post about the divorce - Social media is not the place to vent about your spouse or the divorce. If you make a post about your spouse, he or she will probably do the same. This can lead to increased conflict, a loss of privacy, and even harassment claims. 
• Keep your children out of the conflict - Do your best to avoid fighting or disparaging your spouse in front of the children. Talk to your adult friends or family members when you need to vent, not your children. 
• Consider attorney-led negotiation - Instead of using mediation, have your attorneys negotiate with each other while neither of you is present. Your attorneys can relay information and offers to you. 
• Take a step back - Although you might feel that it would be fair to leave your spouse with nothing, the law will not see it this way. Regardless of what he or she did, your spouse is entitled to a fair distribution of marital assets, as are you. Try to view the situation from an outside perspective. 
• Save evidence - If your spouse begins harassing or threatening you, save evidence of his or her behavior. This might include screenshots of social media posts or text messages, voicemails, or footage recorded by your video doorbell. 

Contact a Will County, IL Divorce Lawyer 

Law Office of Ronald L. Hendrix, P.C. is experienced in managing high-conflict divorce cases. As a court-appointed mediator, Naperville, IL divorce attorney Ronald Hendrix can help most spouses achieve an uncontested divorce. Contact us at 630-355-7776 for a complimentary consultation.