Keeping Things Civil

A guaranteed way to make a bad situation worse is to let your negative emotions get the best of you. This is especially true and especially likely in divorce – perhaps the most painfully personal experience you will ever have to endure. In fact, a recent study that attempted to measure stress levels from various life events found divorce to rank second overall, just below death of a spouse and above things like going to jail and death of a relative.

Everyone likes a juicy story, so it is no surprise that all the divorce cases of prime-time TV dramas and overblown celebrity splits come across as particularly nasty. However, when it comes to your own divorce, staying civil and keeping calm – essentially, taking these media portrayals as examples of how not to behave – is critical to minimizing the pain of divorce, reducing its costs, and protecting any children involved.

There are several keywords related to staying in control during a divorce, the first being patience. Even if you have initiated the split, being in a hurry will only cause unnecessary anguish on both parts, and can even work to your disadvantage. The other person will simply have a different sense of time related to how he or she perceives what’s going on, and respecting that can do wonders for your peace of mind.

A second concept to remember is firmness, or steadfast resolution. Mixed with patience, firmness will help keep you centered during a period of major upheaval. Firmness differs from anger in that it comes not from a raging emotion that might erupt or swing wildly back in another direction, but from a deep reserve of respect for yourself and others.

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For more information on your divorce case, contact the experienced Austin divorce lawyers of Slater, Kennon & Pugh Ltd.LLP, today by calling 512-472-2431.