You and your spouse may have a relatively high-conflict marriage. You believe that this is going to lead, in turn, to a high-conflict divorce. You’re not sure that the relationship can be fixed at this point, and it seems like the two of you are always at odds.
But one day, everything changes. The conflict level seems to drop substantially. Before, you felt like your spouse was picking fights over every little decision or every minor conflict. Now, those disagreements have largely stopped. Does this mean that your relationship is healing and that divorce is less likely?
It may mean divorce is inevitable
Every situation is unique, of course. There certainly are some couples who get over their conflicts and stay married.
But what often happens is just that one person decides that they’re going to get a divorce. Maybe your spouse has already mentally made this decision, even if they haven’t told you about it yet.
Because they know that they’re going to end the relationship, they have just checked out of the conflicts and arguments. There is no point in engaging in these arguments if they’re going to ask for a divorce anyway. They may be spending their time focusing on gathering financial records, finding a divorce lawyer and taking other steps to end the marriage. If you assume that the relationship is getting better, you could be blindsided by the divorce petition.
Your options during divorce
When you and your spouse are not on good terms, the divorce can be complicated and confrontational. Make sure you know about all of your legal options as you go through this process.