“Whatever happened to the person I married?” That’s a question that spouses ask all the time, and that’s especially true when couples’ divorce. After a divorce, rather than working together to achieve goals mutually, a couple may now being actively pursuing ends that are not in the best interest of the other spouse.
To be fair, divorce changes the circumstances that spouses are in, and this may be why they now seem so different to each other. Individuals go on with their lives, meet other people, and sometimes become distant from even their children.
Though divorce is almost always painful, there are ways that couples can reduce the friction. The key is to minimize the consequences that divorce has both for spouses and children. When parents work together in doing what is best for the children and for each other, divorce is far more bearable.
Some suggestions for making post divorce life better would include:
- Both parents meet alone to discuss plans for the children
- Keep children informed about plans for divorce
- Agree to contact information, and to respond to communications by the other spouse in a timely manner
- Both spouses agree to protect the other spouse from any new person in their life
Sometimes family law attorneys can help couples work better together. Attorneys can observe the circumstances objectively and steer spouses and attorneys away from destructive behavior. Family law attorneys can also put together divorce decrees, analyze finances and determine appropriate alimony and child support amounts, and otherwise counsel couples about Texas laws that regulate divorce.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “After a Divorce, Your Ex is Not the Person You Use to Know,” Mary Jo Rapini, Sep. 11, 2012
