Supporting the Reluctant Spouse in Pursuing a Healthy Divorce
Divorce often arises from persistent disagreement and fundamental differences in perspective between spouses. Usually one spouse arrives at the conclusion to divorce, strongly in favor while the other experiences some reluctance.
To understand how to support a hesitant spouse, it's important to recognize what's driving their reluctance. In this excellent blog posting Sharon Pastore writes about three potential causes of one spouse being reluctant to divorce: 1.) Ethical and moral reasons, 2.) Legal and financial tactics, and 3.) Fear and painful emotions.
Sharon offers several strategies to support the reluctant spouse in pursuing a healthy divorce:
Work through Grief and Toward Acceptance
Involve the Non-Reluctant Spouse
Reassure and Empower