If you’ve been thinking about divorce but it’s not something that you’ve brought up in the heat of the moment, you may be trying to consider when is the best time to talk about it. How do you bring this up to your spouse in the best possible manner?
First and foremost, acknowledge that you’ve already done one thing correctly. You don’t want to threaten divorce during an argument or use it as a sort of ultimatum. You always want to have this conversation when emotions are lowered, not heightened.
Avoid outside stress
Another thing to consider is how much other stress you and your spouse may be dealing with. If they’ve had something very stressful happen at work, for instance, it may not be the best time to bring up a divorce. You certainly can, but you run the risk of escalating this into a high-conflict divorce.
Find enough time
Additionally, think about how long the conversation is going to take and how much time you have. The best thing to do is look for a time when you have absolutely no other obligations and the conversation can take as long or as short as needed.
When the kids aren’t around
If you have children, also look for a time when the children aren’t at home. This is a conversation that you and your spouse need to have first, and then you can work together to break the news to the children after you’re 100% sure that you are going to get divorced.
Once you reach this stage and you begin moving toward the official divorce, take the time to carefully look into your legal options.