Arizona Family Law Blog

Couples in Arizona planning their weddings may not wish to think much about the possibility of divorce. Still, it can be practical to prepare for a potential worst-case scenario in advance. Given the fact that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, it can be a conscientious choice to plan for the future. A prenuptial agreement is one important way that engaged couples can plan for divorce while they maintain strong, positive and loving feelings for one another. Just as people put energy into planning their weddings and honeymoons, they can also benefit from paying serious attention to potential future conflicts.

A prenuptial agreement isn't just an option for celebrities or the ultra-wealthy. It also is not designed to benefit just one party at the expense of the other. While a wealthy partner may want to protect family assets, a startup business or an inheritance, the other partner may also wish to build in assurances that protect them in case they stay home to raise children. In order for a prenuptial agreement to be valid in court, both parties must generally be represented in the process to produce a fair outcome.

The process of divorce can take a severe emotional toll as some Arizona residents who are experiencing divorce have found out. However, there are things each person can do to manage the divorce process that allows them to heal and work toward a better future.

While divorce itself is an emotional process, allowing decisions to be ruled by the intense emotions that accompany it is not the healthiest way to move forward. A better path is for each person to take care of themselves physically and emotionally. Physically, exercise can provide a healthy outlet for managing intense feelings while at the same time taking care of the body. Emotionally, reaching out to friends and family for support is important during this period. However, talking to a counselor can also be helpful as counselors have professional experience supporting people who go through situations such as divorce. Another way to take care emotionally is by embracing new, healthy experiences that have nothing to do with an ex-spouse. Focusing on the things that matter, such as family or career, can also help during the divorce process.

A study that was published in Social Psychology and Personality Science examined the link between initial and long-term marital satisfaction with special focus on economically disadvantaged couples. People in Arizona who are considering divorce might gain from knowledge of the study, which indicates that initial satisfaction is in many cases indicative of long-term satisfaction. Researchers from two universities used surveys to measure levels of marital satisfaction for 431 couples who lived in low-income areas.

The couples, who all lived in Los Angeles County, were asked five times from 2009 to 2014 to answer eight questions that were designed to measure marital satisfaction. Among the questions were things like how much trust do you have for your partner and what is your level of satisfaction about how much time you spend with your partner. The researchers divided respondents into three groups based on their levels of initial satisfaction: high satisfaction, moderate satisfaction and low satisfaction.

Parents in Arizona and throughout the country may have a hard time dealing with the fact that their marriage has come to an end. However, they must make sure that they stay strong for their children. It is important to never argue with the other parent in front of the kids or say bad things about them to a child.

The most important reason to be civil around a child's other parent is that it protects the child from negative feelings. Children tend to think that they had something to do with the fact that their parents are no longer together. Instead of devoting energy to bringing a parent down, that energy may best be used to focus on the relationship between the parent and child.