Is it beneficial to stay friendly with an ex, post-divorce?

 Posted on October 04, 2019 in Uncategorized

Depending on the circumstances preceding your divorce, you may have an interest in staying friends with your ex in the aftermath. If you believe maintaining at least some sort of amicable relationship with this person is a possibility, though, you may find that doing so can benefit you as you move forward; particularly if the two of you plan to co-parent together.

Just how can staying friendly with your former spouse potentially benefit as you navigate your life, post-divorce?

It can help ease the strain on your children

Even the friendliest, least-contentious divorces will likely affect shared children to some degree, but if you can avoid having your children watch you and their other parent fight over every last asset or decision, it can benefit them in the long run. Your chances of having a successful co-parenting relationship improve considerably when you are not involved in a contentious legal battle. So, maintaining an air of civility between you, which you may be able to achieve through an amicable divorce, can ultimately benefit the entire family.

It can improve relations with your former in-laws

They say that when you marry someone, you marry that person's family, too. Divorcing your spouse does not necessarily mean his or her family members need to take sides and form a united front against you. The less contentious your divorce, the more likely you will retain relationships with your ex's family members, should you wish to do so.

It can help you move forward with your own life

When you split from your spouse, you may have to work through any number of different emotions. Many people find that they feel anger or resentment toward the person they thought would be their life partner following a divorce. Letting this anger and resentment go can only benefit you over time, though. The faster you work through these emotions, the more likely you will be to find happiness again on your own.

Remember, there is an important difference between staying friendly with your ex and staying friends. In other words, you do not necessarily need to maintain a close relationship with your ex to experience the benefits of remaining friendly with this person.