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Dealing with a Difficult Divorce

Not all divorces are amicable, and based on mutual understanding and agreement. In a fairly significant proportion of divorces, one spouse may be hostile, and openly confrontational. This kind of spouse is very often uninterested in resolving issues amicably.

If you are unfortunate enough to be stuck with a spouse like this, there isn’t much that you can do to change his or her personality. Understand that how you react to this difficult situation depends entirely on you. Expecting a major personality change in the other individual is a waste of time. Therefore, it’s best if you square your shoulders and try to cope with the situation as best as you can.

If your spouse is making things difficult for you during the divorce, it’s best to limit communication to the bare minimum. Face-to face interactions may be especially difficult, so use e-mails, text messages and instant messaging to communicate with the person. Leave much of the communication to your lawyers. That reduces the risk that you will get into a major argument, and say things that you regret later.

Don’t feel like you have to deal with this difficult divorce on your own. Seek out a therapist, or speak to a friend. Carry on with your life outside of the divorce, and don’t let the hostile divorce proceedings drag you down. It’s important to stay fit, eat healthy, and meditate so that you don’t find yourself lost in the negative environment that the divorce has generated.

At all costs, shield your children from the negative behavior of their hostile parent. Avoid altercations in front of the children. Also avoid venting about your spouse’s bad behavior on social media. These are the sort of things that can vastly complicate your divorce. Often, bad behavior is simply a way to get the other person in the marriage to react badly and make mistakes that can complicate the divorce.