It’s well known that divorces can be difficult. Besides dealing with property division, alimony, child support, and visitation, the spouses must also cope with the array of emotions accompanying the end of their marriage. Those emotions can worsen already-existing conflicts and make the divorce process more difficult.
As a sociologist recently explained, no marriage is conflict-free, and those conflicts may fall into one of four categories. First are “one-time, solvable problems,” which are conflicts created by a particular situation, not a clash of personalities. Second are “cyclical conflicts,” which are ongoing, but alternate between being a big problem at some times, a small problem at others. Third are “deal-breakers” – the sort of conflicts that cannot be solved by agreement, because they arise from a fundamental difference in personality or belief. Lastly, there are “wounding problems.” These conflicts arise over and over – like cyclical problems – but they tend to produce feelings of hurt and frustration, and can be very difficult to resolve. Continue Reading