What to Know About Navigating a High-Conflict Divorce
Posted September 29th, 2023.
Categories: Blog.
Every divorce is going to lead to some conflicts, but sometimes a spouse is just dead set on making negotiations as unpleasant as possible. In a high-conflict divorce, one person is making it difficult to tackle even the most basic parts of a divorce agreement. This can be a stressful experience, but family lawyer Mark S. Guralnick is prepared to help you navigate it.
What Makes a Divorce into a High-Conflict Divorce?
There are almost always arguments during a divorce, but a high-conflict divorce is characterized by an excessive number of conflicts that just make it difficult to accomplish anything. A spouse who is overly emotional, revels in conflict, or is prone to exhibiting extreme behaviors can make even the simplest parts of the divorce into ordeals. Then when you get to the really difficult stuff, like child custody, your spouse can continue to make things worse.
How Can I Deal With My Spouse in a High-Conflict Divorce?
There is no foolproof way to shut down a spouse who is insistent on causing more conflict, but there are some steps that you can take to avoid taking on even more stress in a high-conflict divorce. You should:
- Keep contact with your spouse to a minimum
- Keep any communications brief and to the point
- Avoid venting to everyone, rely on a support network of close friends and family instead
- Try to avoid reacting to everything that your spouse does
- Always be prepared for some new kind of issue to pop up
- Document absolutely everything
What Should I Do When My Divorce is Done?
When your divorce is done, you should keep communications with your ex to a minimum. This can be more difficult for couples with kids, but we think that it is a necessity. Any excess communication is just going to lead to additional stress. Maybe, over time, things can be smoothed out, but you are under no obligation to begin the repair process right now.
Do I Need a Lawyer in a High-Conflict Divorce?
Having a lawyer in a high-conflict divorce is almost a necessity. If your spouse insists on creating conflict whenever possible, methods of negotiation like arbitration and mediation are unlikely to work. It is possible that most of your divorce will have to be handled via litigation, and it is helpful to have a lawyer for that.
A lawyer can also serve as your point of contact and handle most communications on your behalf. This might be a necessity if your spouse is contacting you and stressing you out constantly. Have everything done through lawyers and be done with the excess stress.
Schedule a Consultation
No one should try to work through a high-conflict divorce on their own. Contact the Law Offices of Mark S. Guralnick and schedule a consultation with our team today. We can tell you more about what we can do to help you finalize your divorce and move on to a new chapter of your life.
