If you have a challenging spouse who is trying to make your divorce difficult, it can make you extremely angry and result in you saying or doing things that are regrettable.
During your divorce, you need to try to be as respectful as possible. It can be difficult to stay respectful sometimes, but with the right approach, being respectful can actually help you get more out of your divorce.
How can you remain respectful when your spouse isn’t?
There are three tips for staying respectful when your spouse is not being respectful to you.
- Ask them to communicate in writing
The first thing you can do is ask them to communicate in writing. The nice thing about communicating through text or email is that it is easy to keep a record of what your spouse has said. If they say something rude or threatening, that information will be available to the court.
You’ll also be more cautious about what you write or how you respond, keeping both of you respectful.
- Ask your attorney to be a moderator
If you have a hard time communicating with your spouse politely, ask your attorney to be the moderator. They can communicate directly with your spouse’s attorney, so you don’t have to communicate with your spouse at all while working on different aspects of your divorce case. This helps you prevent saying or doing things you shouldn’t have.
- Know when to ask the court for help
If your spouse is not being respectful to you, and if you feel that you are about to do something that could hurt your case, talk to your attorney about going to the court for help. The judge does need to know if your spouse is being rude, aggressive, threatening or otherwise harmful to you. They may order that you communicate through a court-monitored program.
Respectfulness goes a long way during your divorce case
If you can show that you’ve done your best to remain respectful and taken steps to get help when necessary, that will reflect positively on you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your attorney or the court for help if your spouse is being unreasonable or threatening to you. You deserve support and to be able to communicate without feeling attacked.