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How to Live With Your Spouse While You Plan a Divorce

Jan 18, 2021

Making the decision to divorce your spouse is difficult, but living with them through the process can be even harder. In this post, we’ll cover five tips to help you keep the peace (and your sanity) as you make your way through the process.

If you need to speak with an experienced divorce attorney in Atlanta, contact Fairell Roy & Associates for a consultation. We know how difficult it is to live with a spouse during the divorce process , and we’ll provide you with expert representation and support as we help you work toward a brighter future.

Five Tips for Living With a Spouse While You Divorce

Divide Living Spaces

No matter how amicable your divorce is, it can be uncomfortable and unhealthy to keep living with your spouse as if nothing has changed. If your living space allows for it, it’s recommended that you sleep in separate rooms and alternate use of common areas such as the living room and kitchen. If you live in an apartment or a space in which it’s difficult to have time to yourself away from your spouse, we recommend that you read the last tip of this post.

Share Household Duties

If you lived with roommates prior to your marriage, then you’re probably familiar with the process of dividing responsibilities so that each person knows what they’re responsible for. You and your spouse are essentially roommates at this point, and you can use your prior experience to help you create a chore schedule that works for both of you and prevents unnecessary conflict from occurring.

Keep Communication Brief

There’s no getting around the fact that you will need to communicate with your spouse, but you can make the process much less complicated and painful by keeping things brief and to the point. Face-to-face is always the most effective form of communication, but texting and calling are perfectly fine for day-to-day communication and schedule coordination.

Remember, you will likely be in contact with your spouse for at least a short period of time once your divorce is finalized. If you have children, you may be in contact with them for years to come. Developing healthy boundaries and learning to communicate without emotional reactivity will be important as you move on.

Be Respectful

Divorce can cause you to experience a range of intense emotions, many of which are negative and revolve around your spouse. Living with them can amplify these feelings and make it tempting to tell them exactly what’s on your mind, but remember that being respectful and taking the high road are better for you and your post-divorce life. If your spouse can prove that you’ve badmouthed them or show the court proof of intense emotional outbursts, you may end up with an unfavorable outcome. Nobody is expecting you to pretend like nothing happened, but venting to your friends and family instead of lashing out at your spouse is much more productive in the end.

Go Elsewhere

Whether you’re locked into a lease, in the process of purchasing a home, or are in another circumstance that’s keeping you from permanently leaving your current residence, know that there’s nothing wrong with temporarily staying with friends or family. This is particularly important if you don’t feel safe around your spouse or your mental health is being severely affected by continuing to live together.

Working with an experienced divorce attorney can expedite your divorce and make it much easier to move on, and Fairell Roy & Associates is standing by to help. If you’re in need of dedicated representation as you work toward a better future, contact our office to schedule a consultation.

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