It is no secret that a high-conflict divorce can be damaging, not only for children but for the divorcing couple as well. But yet, as many of our Atlanta readers know, sometimes it is simply not possible to maintain a low level of conflict when you are entrenched in a difficult divorce.
So what can divorcing parents do to protect their children from the negative effects of a high-conflict divorce?
First, if talking face-to-face always ends in a fight, it may be a good idea to communicate through e-mail or text messaging. Make sure your messages are polite and respectful, possibly even enlisting the help of a neutral third party to look over and edit them if you are not capable of maintaining courtesy.
However, if you are sharing custody of your children, seeing and talking to your ex-spouse may be inevitable. During drop-offs and pick-ups, be as brief as possible, and do your best to remain cordial. Discuss important divorce-related matters in private conversations at a later time.
In addition, do your best to remain flexible regarding pick-ups and drop-offs, reacting with understanding if your ex-spouse is late or needs to change the time at the last minute.
One of the most common complaints among divorced parents is that their ex-spouse withholds information about their children. Make sure you are forthcoming about your children, readily sharing information regarding their performance at school, interactions with siblings or friends, new likes or dislikes and any other new facts you think your ex-spouse would be interested to know.
Source: silive.com, “How to defuse a high-conflict divorce,” Elise G. McIntosh, July 24, 2012
At our Georgia family law firm, we help our clients deal with all aspects of the divorce process. To learn more about the services we provide, please see our divorce page.