There are ways that you can avoid a toxic divorce

The divorce process can be an extremely toxic journey. It's common to deal with multiple disputes that relate to both the reason why you decided to get divorced, and to the specific issues relating to the divorce, such as asset division and child custody. If you let these disputes affect you and decide to fight them at every point in your journey, you will likely become very stressed and unable to focus on what your priorities should be; for example maintaining your own mental health and raising your children.

However, it doesn't have to be this way. It is possible to move forward through a divorce without tolerating toxic behavior, but you should be strategic in your approach in order to achieve this. The following are some ways that you can decrease toxicity in your divorce and move forward in a positive way.

Consider a collaborative divorce

Going through a collaborative divorce means that you do not intend to fight your former spouse on issues relating to the divorce process, but instead that you are willing to collaborate to find a way forward together. For example, you may not initially agree on how you would like to divide assets, but by engaging in collaboration and discussing issues in detail, you will be able to see things from each others' point of view. Through this process, you may be able to reach an agreement without needing to go through costly litigation.

Address power imbalances and psychological abuse

You divorcing spouse my be holding grudges against you or being purposely incommunicative to try to get the upper hand. If you believe that your divorcing spouse's behavior is leading to unnecessary toxicity, you should address this as soon as you can. You may want to go through couples' therapy or individual therapy to get to the root of the problem. Doing so may help you to avoid dealing with court litigation, and it will help you to work together as strong co-parents in the future.

There are many benefits to avoiding litigation in favor of alternative dispute resolution in a divorce. It can reduce legal fees, lower stress and help you to move forward more positively, without holding any resentment or negativity.