How To Avoid Divorce

Nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, and while the rate is dropping somewhat, marriages still end for many reasons. In many of these cases, careful planning ahead of time—before walking down the aisle—could have prevented them.

Getting married is a huge decision. While many engaged couples are focused on the present, they need to look to the future as well as their past to make sure they are marrying the right person for the right reasons. A successful marriage requires communication, honesty, teamwork, and fair fighting. Does your relationship have these traits? Here are some things you can do to avoid divorce court down the road.

Respect Your Spouse

Your spouse is entitled to their feelings and positions on certain topics. It’s fine if you don’t agree, but don’t show contempt with insults and eye rolls. Try to see their perspective and understand where they’re coming from.

Discuss Money

Money is one of the top causes of divorce, so make sure you have a deep discussion about it before marriage. How will you two combine your finances? Who will pay the bills? What will a budget look like? Also, be honest about your debt. Your spouse needs to know because this debt can affect them as well.

Improve Your Listening Skills

While marriage requires a lot of communication, it involves a lot of listening as well. Instead of yelling, take some time to listen to your spouse. Sometimes people just want to vent and be heard. When you do talk, be aware of the words you are saying because they can be hurtful. Rephrase your statements and change your tone.

Know Your Deal Breakers

Nobody’s perfect, but don’t be blinded by love. Look for any red flags early in the relationship. Get a sense for what behaviors you will and will not tolerate. You should never tolerate physical abuse, but what about yelling or cheating? What if your partner once struggled with an addiction? Before you get married, determine your deal breakers.

Always Improve Yourself

Nobody’s perfect, so work on trying to be the best person you can be. Focus on what you want the marriage to look like. When you and your spouse have disagreements, fight fairly. Think about your role in the marriage. Are you showing recognition and gratitude? Are you trusting your spouse? Always be thinking about the effort you can put into improving your marriage.

Seek Legal Help

If you want to avoid divorce, you need to make an effort before the wedding. Set yourself up for success and you can have that “happily ever after” so many couples dream about.

Once you start lying and disrespecting your partner, your marriage is on the line. Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney Edward J. Jennings, P.A. can determine if your marriage can be saved or if it’s better to move on.  Schedule a consultation today. Fill out the online form or call 954-764-4330.