On behalf of Gary Kirk of Kirk Montoute Dawson LLP posted in Family Law on Tuesday, July 17, 2018.
When couples make the decision to end their marriages, they likely exhausted all avenues to keep it together. Family law rules in Canada don’t make it mandatory that couples ask themselves hard-hitting questions before breaking up, but it may be a wise thing to do since divorce is the final nail in the coffin when it comes to ending a marriage. There are many things to consider – from children to finances.
An expert suggests there are three pertinent questions to ask a spouse before making that final call to formally end things. Firstly, individuals should ask each other and themselves if they’d be happier not being in the relationship. Secondly, if neither person likes who he or she has become in the relationship, that may be a huge red flag. If one person is giving more to make the other happy, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate things. Thirdly, what is each person willing to concede to make the relationship work?
Approaching issues from a more positive stance rather than a negative one may help matters. For instance, asking a partner what he or she is willing to do to help make things work rather than what he or she is not may frame the situation in a more thoughtful way. Another important question to ask is how conflicts are affecting the children. Staying in a constantly tense situation is not healthy for anyone in the family.
Once a couple asks themselves these hard questions and divorce still comes up as the only resolution, a family law lawyer should be the next person each individual turns to. A lawyer in Canada may be able to provide additional advice when it comes to the laws that govern the dissolution of marriage. A lawyer may also be able to provide the names of other experts who may be able to help such as family therapists and financial advisers.
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