Communicating with your soon-to-be ex-spouse can be challenging, whether they moved out or you both remained in the family home until the divorce is final. Since you will be going through different emotions and trying to figure out how to rebuild your life, conversations can become heated quickly.
This guide discusses how to communicate with your spouse during divorce:
Don’t communicate when upset
You should talk to your spouse when you are calm. If you are upset or they start an argument on trivial issues, politely excuse yourself or hang up the phone.
Manage your emotions
When talking with your spouse, you should manage your emotions. Avoid statements that can trigger them and use a respectful tone. This can be challenging, but it’s key to having a smooth divorce process.
A tip you can employ is not to communicate as if you are still involved with your spouse – be objective and approach each interaction like a business meeting.
Only talk when necessary
You and your spouse should only discuss matters related to the divorce. These include property division, child custody, child support and so on. Discussing matters that may have led to the divorce can lead to arguments.
You should agree on the subjects to discuss beforehand. Each party should respect the established parameters.
Choose a reliable mode of communication
If you choose to live with your spouse during the divorce, you may need to have face-to-face conversations at agreed times. But if one of you moves out of the family home, you can communicate through phone, text or email. You and your spouse should also agree on the channel to use during emergencies.
How you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse communicate can determine your divorce’s direction. You should also get legal help when discussing crucial issues.