All relationships go through their ups and downs, but some marriages have more downs than ups. Regardless of why you’re considering divorce, there are things to consider before beginning the process that can help you along the way. Before you start the divorce process with an Albuquerque divorce attorney, let’s talk about four of the most important things to cover with your partner before choosing to pursue divorce.
Discussions to Have Before Filing for Divorce
Having a discussion with your partner about divorce is never easy. If you don’t feel comfortable initiating these conversations on your own or feel uncomfortable speaking with your partner one-on-one, remember that a marriage counselor can always help facilitate these difficult conversations and show your partner you’re serious. Start with these five discussion topics and see where you need to go from there.
1. Is This a Bump or a Fork in the Road?
With all relationships, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and see a problem as bigger (or smaller) than it really is. Before you start filling out the paperwork to initiate a divorce, you may wish to have an open and honest conversation with your partner and discuss the issues you’re facing. Having a conversation, or trying to, may help you determine if what you’re going through is a bump in the road or something bigger that won’t get straightened out. Before contacting divorce lawyers in Santa Fe, consider searching out marriage counselors first if your partner is willing to do so and you believe that could be helpful.
2. Are Either of You Going Through a Difficult Time with Your Mental Health or Substance Abuse?
Many things can happen and mental health can change your outlook on life entirely. If you and your partner have been experiencing trouble in your relationship lately, consider whether there are any mental health or substance abuse issues that can be addressed. If so, are you or your partner willing to seek help to improve and will improvement in those areas dictate whether or not a divorce is necessary?
3. Have You Communicated Your Concerns & Thoughts on Divorce?
You’ve probably heard that a majority of marital disagreements can be boiled down to a lack of communication. Sometimes the only way for your communication to improve is to have a frank discussion with your partner. Other times, having frank discussions can inflame the situation. Whether or not it is useful depends on the unique circumstances of your relationship. Regardless, if you’re reading this, you may wish to consider trying to have a conversation with your partner about the issues you perceive. How well that conversation or conversations go can be a good indication of where your relationship stands.
4. Are You Seeing Both Sides of the Coin?
Consider whether it’s possible that you haven’t considered how your partner may feel about the issues you’re facing and the perspective they may have. If you have a conversation with your partner with an open mind, it may give you the information you’re lacking and facilitate healing to your relationship. Conversely, such a conversation may help illuminate a different angle to the issues you’re faced with and may make a hard decision on whether to divorce or separate somewhat easier.
If you talk through this list with your partner and still decide to move forward with filing for separation, reach out to the Law Office of Dorene A. Kuffer to connect with the Albuquerque divorce attorney that will support you every step of the way. We are here to offer the guidance you need to navigate this difficult time in your life so you can come out of it with your and your children’s best interests first. Contact us today.