At the beginning of the process of dissolving a marriage in Texas, expecting to go through a drawn-out battle with a future ex is common. However, not all divorce proceedings are filled with strife. A few tips can help with facilitating a divorce process that is as amicable as possible, which is especially helpful when children are involved.
First, going through counseling can be invaluable. Counseling can help the parents and the children to communicate their feelings in a healthy manner. The parents can also learn what to avoid in their future mates if they decide to date or get married again.
Second, parents may benefit from realizing that their children are watching them, as this may have an impact on how they behave during divorce. For instance, constantly fighting with and criticizing a future ex-spouse can cause emotional damage to the children, so avoiding being critical of the future ex in front of the children is important. After all, the children identify with both parents, so criticizing one of them actually undermines the children’s identities and may lead to insecurity in the long run.
Getting a divorce in Texas can be an arduous emotional and financial journey. However, both parents can help to make the process more palatable for themselves and for their children by striving to work out their disputes related to issues such as spousal support and child custody outside of court. This can ultimately help them to achieve a mutually beneficial divorce settlement and parenting agreement, for example, and thus mentally prepare them for the co-parenting they will have to do in the years ahead.
Source: huffingtonpost.com, “How to Have a Better Divorce“, Gail Gross, June 13, 2017
