Bringing up the subject of divorce to your spouse is not an easy thing to do, especially if they do not realize how unhappy you are in the marriage. It is important to always try to communicate your hopes and fears with your significant other, even if you suspect that your truth will hurt their feelings. Therefore, ideally, you will have discussed your dissatisfaction with the relationship or generally the place you are in life before you bring up the possibility of divorce.
Whatever your situation, you should never bring up the prospect of divorce in the heat of the moment, and when you are very angry. Instead, take the time to carefully reflect on what you want and what you want the outcome of the conversation to be. The following are some tips on how to strategically ask your spouse for a divorce.
Time and place is everything
A conversation about divorce isn’t something that should be done in a matter-of-fact way. For example, it shouldn’t be something that is done over the phone, in front of your children or while driving in the car. You may want to consider letting your spouse know that you want to have an important conversation and set a time when your children are asleep to sit down together and talk.
Envision how your spouse will react
While you need to be truthful, you should also consider how your spouse will react to the things that you say. Try to be considerate of your spouse’s feelings and make constructive arguments rather than hurtful statements. There are ways to formulate statements that will help you to have a productive discussion rather than an angry fight.
You should always try to encourage communication but without it turning into an argument. Try to end the discussion by concluding with some key takeaways or actions that you can both participate in. If you want a divorce, invest time in understanding how the law is in place to help you.
