When a marriage ends, dissolving the union means there will be unique concerns to attend to, and when you share these specifics with a legal professional, they will be able to generally categorize your divorce as one of high-conflict or low-conflict. This determination will be based on the level of hostility, tension, and disagreement between the parties involved.
There are benefits to having a low conflict divorce, doing so is typically less expensive, faster, and comes with reduced personal stress, but sometimes high-conflict cases cannot be avoided. Talk through your personal objectives with a Tampa family lawyer, then a path forward can be strategized and pursued.
Communication, Presence of Children, and Emotional Readiness
While there are a lot of factors that contribute to a divorce’s conflict level, one of the main ones is if the spouses involved are able to communicate and cooperate effectively or not. In low-conflict situations, the ex-partners are often able to maintain open and respectful lines of dialogue, which can lead to productive compromises. On the other hand, high-conflict situations are often fueled by breakdowns in communication.
Dissolving marriages that involve children can also have a substantial impact on the conflict level of a divorce. When parents prioritize the well-being of their children and work in tandem to create a stable and nurturing environment for the kids post-divorce, it is a low-conflict process of developing a parenting plan and custody arrangement. But if there are contentious disputes over child custody, visitation, and child support, conflict levels rise, which leads to greater stress for all involved, adults and children alike.
And of course, emotional readiness can contribute. This is because whether or not both parties are ready to accept the end of the marriage influences their ability to negotiate and move on or resist efforts to resolve matters. When both spouses have reached a point where they are prepared to move toward the next chapter of their lives, their desire to start anew could support a process of crafting a divorce agreement, but when there are ongoing disagreements, lingering emotional attachments, anger, and resentment, it can make it difficult to impossible to secure an amicable resolution.
Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
If you are willing to engage in mediation or alternative dispute resolution methods, you may find these processes can make a substantial difference in conflict levels. When you are ready to explore your options, talk to an experienced Tampa family lawyer about what you want your future to look like so your attorney can guide you toward the resolution you are seeking, possibly with less conflict through negotiation and mediation.
