New Mexico residents in the midst of their own divorce, or contemplating initiating one in the near future, may find some interest in a recent article on the subject. It presents the opinions of two experts on divorce mediation and collaborative law who claim that few people pay heed to the important emotional considerations that may often influence and control the outcome of their divorce proceedings. They state that while a marriage may legally end, the surrounding family it created often continues even after the relationship between the couple is severed.

Divorcing couples can go through several possible emotional stages, and at any given time one partner could be at a different stage than the other. In the initial deliberation stage, one feels alienated and drifts apart. Since the other may be ignorant of this development, the resulting rift is often the subject of great discord. After the divorce is legally finalized, the family unit may persist with varying levels of emotional attachment and desire that could potentially last a lifetime.

While many people do not consider the emotional aftermath of their divorce before they begin one, and its prospect should not in itself prevent a divorce from occurring if one party deems it necessary, such considerations play an important role in numerous divorce issues, such as property division, child custody and others. Given the often charged emotional context behind such proceedings, many couples find it nearly impossible to come to an amicable agreement.

In almost any divorce, it is usually for both parties to attempt to reach a mutually satisfactory settlement. A divorce attorney may be able to help a client facilitate this outcome through mediation or collaborative techniques.

Source: The Hays Daily News, “Process of divorce can leave families in limbo at times”, January 13, 2014