Can a collaborative divorce benefit your children?

Divorce is rarely easy on anyone. Just as you may expect to feel some sadness and anger about the breakup of your marriage, your divorce is likely to take an emotional toll on the young ones in your family. In fact, according to Psychology Today, children of divorce are vulnerable to depression, resentment and behavioral problems.

Because you are a caring parent, you undoubtedly are looking for ways to minimize the psychological injuries your kids suffer because of your divorce. Fortunately, you probably have a number of options. The first one may be deciding which type of divorce you want to have.

Collaborative vs. bitter divorces

Thanks to pop culture, you are probably familiar with bitter divorces. With these, couples may spend months or even years fighting with each other. That does not happen with collaborative divorce, however.

If you and your spouse decide to pursue a collaborative divorce, you work together to resolve divorce-related issues in a mostly non-adversarial way. For example, you may engage with a mediator to divide marital property, settle spousal support or come up with a child custody arrangement.

Your children’s outlook

Children tend to be self-centric, which means they observe the world according to how it affects them. If you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are constantly fighting, your kids may internalize your anger and resentment.

By opting for a collaborative divorce, you keep conflict to a minimum. You also show your kids you can work with your spouse for the good of the family. Ultimately, because each of these may benefit your children considerably, entertaining the idea of collaborative divorce may be in everyone’s interests.