Why It’s Important To Maintain A Good Relationship With Your Ex-Spouse After Divorce

A divorce is always a difficult time that forces people to evaluate every aspect of their lives and alter their plans for the future. Divorces have a reputation of being contentious and costly affairs that further separate two people who have already grown apart. However, the reality is that most separated couples will retain a connection long after the divorce is finalized, especially if there are children involved.

Maintaining a good relationship with a former spouse after a divorce can be essential to the long-term happiness of all parties. From a practical standpoint, it can also benefit shared children and save thousands of dollars in legal fees, as well as significant time down the road.

REMAINING ON GOOD TERMS IS BENEFICIAL TO YOUR CASE

A final divorce decree is a legal document that carries the full force of the law. While these orders are permanent with no expiration date, they are also subject to modification. One of the most common reasons to seek modification concerns the care and custody of children.

You or your child’s other parent can ask a court to change the standing order if a material change in circumstances has arisen. Under this statute, the moving party bears the burden of proving that this change has occurred.

However, if the two parties agree that a change is necessary, the court is likely to agree to that change without significant investigation. In our more than 35 years of combined exclusive family law experience, we have learned effective ways to negotiate for amicable changes to save on excessive legal fees at trial.

MAINTAINING A RELATIONSHIP ALSO HAS EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

As much as two divorced people may want to forget that chapter of their lives, the fact is that people can never forget their marriage. Almost every divorce decree requires some property to change hands or for the parties to arrange for the sale of a home or company. Additionally, every marriage that has children will generally require you and your ex-spouse to cooperate and raise the child.

As a result, it is in the best interests of all parties involved that the former spouses remain on good terms after a divorce. Parties who willingly pay alimony or child support can keep out of legal trouble and avoid having to return to court. Children also benefit from seeing their parents get along, despite no longer living together. When navigating these challenges and trying to avoid litigation, it can be useful to have a dedicated legal team coming up with creative solutions to help with each step.

MAINTAINING A RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP CAN GO A LONG WAY

Whether you share marital property, require alimony, or need to resolve debts or the ownership of assets, likely, you will still need to interact with a former spouse after a divorce. Because of this, remaining on good terms can help to smooth out this process with minimal stress and decrease the likelihood of returning to court.

With a healthy relationship between you and your ex-spouse, everybody stands to benefit. Call us at our Westborough office to discuss ways to solve your divorce issues without requiring litigation. It is possible, and even beneficial, to maintain a good relationship with your former spouse after a divorce.