Latest / Reflect Reclaim & Liberate - with Sallyanne Hartnell / 20 Tips For A Low Conflict Divorce
Transcript
- 0:07SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Reflect, Reclaim and Liberate the podcast.
- 0:12SPEAKER_00: Finding the space for all of you in life and love.
- 0:15SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Sally Allen Hartmann, and this podcast is for anyone wanting to reclaim and liberate themselves in their relationships and their life.
- 0:25SPEAKER_00: Wherever you are on your relationship journey, these conversations meet you right there in soulful, deeply supportive DNMs with me and interviews with other gorgeous humans, moving you from where you are to where you most want to be.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: A life and love completely aligned with your deepest desires to have it all on your own terms.
- 0:47SPEAKER_00: If you're seeking a relationship and a life that lights up all of you, you're in the right place.
- 0:54SPEAKER_00: I'd also like to acknowledge that this podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Wurrentry people and pay my respects to elders past, present, and emerging and acknowledge them as the original storytellers of this land.
- 1:08SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Reflect, Reclaim and Liberate.
- 1:11SPEAKER_00: Today I'm going to lead you through 20 tips for a low conflict divorce.
- 1:16SPEAKER_00: 20 tips for a low conflict divorce.
- 1:18SPEAKER_00: Now, divorce is tough on everybody, whether you chose it or whether it was not of your choosing, and it can hurt and harm in ways that are quite unexpected.
- 1:31SPEAKER_00: Everybody's highly emotional and you're needing to make decisions big and small which will have long-term impact.
- 1:39SPEAKER_00: And you know, no one really gets married or enters into a long-term relationship or commitment, expecting to end up separated, divorced.
- 1:48SPEAKER_00: But if you do find yourself navigating relationship breakdown, yes, it's going to be highly emotional, but it doesn't have to be high conflict.
- 1:57SPEAKER_00: And that of course depends on what happens on the other side, yes, but there are things that you can do, regardless of what your ex-partner is doing.
- 2:07SPEAKER_00: There are things that you can do to help minimize or at least dial down the conflict.
- 2:13SPEAKER_00: The first one is to prioritize you and your self-care.
- 2:19SPEAKER_00: This is always my number one tip, and for really, really good reasons.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: Self-care during divorce is not a luxury.
- 2:29SPEAKER_00: Self-care is vital because if you fall apart, so does everything else.
- 2:35SPEAKER_00: It's the oxygen mask analogy, right?
- 2:38SPEAKER_00: Look after you so that you can look after everything else.
- 2:40SPEAKER_00: And that is, yes, kids, but it's also the organizational stuff, right?
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: All the things that need to get done, ticked off, handed over to your lawyer, all the stuff that needs to get done.
- 2:52SPEAKER_00: So be kind and nurture yourself in positive, healthy ways.
- 2:56SPEAKER_00: Keep it simple.
- 2:58SPEAKER_00: Eat good food, don't overdo the alcohol or other forms of self-medication or numbing.
- 3:04SPEAKER_00: Exercise, sleep, rest, play.
- 3:07SPEAKER_00: Keep it really simple, but prioritize you and your self-care.
- 3:11SPEAKER_00: Tip number two is communicate clearly and calmly.
- 3:17SPEAKER_00: There's a whole other podcast episode on it.
- 3:20SPEAKER_00: I've got downloadable resources on how to communicate calmly.
- 3:25SPEAKER_00: So let me know if you want those.
- 3:27SPEAKER_00: Communicate clearly and calmly with your ex, keep it clear, keep it calm, keep it as emotion free as you can, as if you are conducting a business transaction.
- 3:39SPEAKER_00: Decide how you will communicate.
- 3:42SPEAKER_00: Is it going to be only in writing, email, text?
- 3:44SPEAKER_00: Is a telephone call okay?
- 3:46SPEAKER_00: And also when.
- 3:48SPEAKER_00: So set your boundaries around communication for yourself.
- 3:52SPEAKER_00: Set your own boundaries and don't respond to that text at 10 o'clock after a long and stressful day and two glasses of wine.
- 4:00SPEAKER_00: Communicate clearly with your kids.
- 4:03SPEAKER_00: Be honest but keep it age and stage appropriate.
- 4:07SPEAKER_00: I don't care how old they are, whether they're primary school age or young adults or even adults, they do not need to know all the details.
- 4:16SPEAKER_00: Some of that is not theirs to know, but they do have a right and a need to know what's going on.
- 4:23SPEAKER_00: So communicate clearly and calmly with them.
- 4:26SPEAKER_00: If there are big things that you need to tell them, sit with them while they absorb it, check in with them regularly, listen to them without judgment and without overlaying your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions.
- 4:38SPEAKER_00: Allow them to express things in their own way in their own time.
- 4:42SPEAKER_00: And if they're younger, help them find the words for their feelings.
- 4:46SPEAKER_00: So communicate with them calmly and clearly, keeping it age and stage appropriate, telling them what they need to know and keeping what they don't need to yourself.
- 4:57SPEAKER_00: Also communicate clearly, concisely, calmly with your advisors.
- 5:03SPEAKER_00: This is something that I work with my client, one-on-one clients with.
- 5:07SPEAKER_00: Keeping it really concise, clear, and calm.
- 5:09SPEAKER_00: It can help you minimize your legal costs, but it also just helps your legal team or your advisors act on what is in their wheelhouse, right?
- 5:23SPEAKER_00: Keep it focused on what they need to know.
- 5:26SPEAKER_00: Make sure that you're ticking off all the lists that they give you, and bang, one email back.
- 5:32SPEAKER_00: So be organized and communicate clearly, calmly, concisely, and fully with them.
- 5:38SPEAKER_00: Give them what they're asking for so they don't have to chase you.
- 5:43SPEAKER_00: Tip number three is allow yourself to grieve, to be sad, to feel all the feelings.
- 5:50SPEAKER_00: Yes, even if you chose the divorce, there will be layers of grief.
- 5:56SPEAKER_00: Divorce, regardless of whether you chose it or not, will almost always come with some degree of grief, even if you were the one to initiate it.
- 6:05SPEAKER_00: You are losing that happy ever-after fairy tale life you thought you were signing up for.
- 6:10SPEAKER_00: You are losing the life that you dreamed that you would have.
- 6:14SPEAKER_00: You are losing future plans that you had with this person.
- 6:19SPEAKER_00: So allow yourself time and space to grieve your relationship.
- 6:24SPEAKER_00: And your kids will grieve too.
- 6:27SPEAKER_00: So educate yourself on how best to support them.
- 6:31SPEAKER_00: And remember too that a grief journey is not linear, you know, it's not once and done, it's not set and forget, and it doesn't necessarily travel in a clean, straight line.
- 6:41SPEAKER_00: So grief might pop back up at various stages throughout your separation, throughout your divorce, even afterwards.
- 6:50SPEAKER_00: Tip number four: choose your team, choose your support team.
- 6:54SPEAKER_00: Yes, your team is likely to include friends and family, but not everyone needs to be involved or to know all the details.
- 7:02SPEAKER_00: You get to choose.
- 7:04SPEAKER_00: You get to choose who knows what.
- 7:07SPEAKER_00: You need to be certain and know who you can absolutely rely on who will catch you when you f when you fall.
- 7:14SPEAKER_00: Your team may also include people at work, teachers or coach sports coaches, or anybody who's connected with your kids, as well as any paid support you need.
- 7:25SPEAKER_00: Counselor, psychologist, GP, cleaner for the house, massage therapist, food delivery services, someone to mow the lawns, and of course a divorce coach.
- 7:34SPEAKER_00: So choose your divorce support team.
- 7:38SPEAKER_00: Tip number five: keep it in the vault.
- 7:42SPEAKER_00: You will be surprised, or maybe you won't be, um, at the people who ask you direct questions about your breakup, who comment, who speak badly of your ex or offer their unsolicited opinion on your marriage, your separation, your divorce.
- 8:00SPEAKER_00: So choose carefully who you share with, because not everyone will then lock the privacy vault and keep what you share to themselves.
- 8:10SPEAKER_00: So it's perfectly fine to say, I'd rather not discuss that, I'd rather not discuss my divorce, my ex, my lawyer.
- 8:17SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about blah blah blah something else.
- 8:21SPEAKER_00: Um, so know who your vault people are, the ones who will absolutely keep what you share with them private and share with them.
- 8:31SPEAKER_00: It might surprise you.
- 8:34SPEAKER_00: Tip number six is kids.
- 8:37SPEAKER_00: Kids in divorce, keep them out of the conflict.
- 8:41SPEAKER_00: Like tip number one, this is vital to a low conflict and in a vertical successful divorce.
- 8:49SPEAKER_00: Kids do well, kids after divorce do well, but they don't do well if there's high conflict, they do less well.
- 8:58SPEAKER_00: Having said that, they only really need one fully functioning parent to um to survive and thrive.
- 9:06SPEAKER_00: But if you have kids, do your best to keep them out of the conflict, regardless of what's happening on the other side, regardless of what the other parent is doing.
- 9:16SPEAKER_00: Keep their well-being and best interests as your number one priority.
- 9:21SPEAKER_00: Make decisions about what is best for your kids, and don't speak badly of your ex in front of them ever, or even where they can hear it.
- 9:33SPEAKER_00: They need to be able to love you both.
- 9:35SPEAKER_00: Now I'm talking healthy other parent, right?
- 9:38SPEAKER_00: I'm talking otherwise good parent who you just happen to be divorcing.
- 9:44SPEAKER_00: They need to be able to love you both and not feel they have to make a choice between you.
- 9:50SPEAKER_00: They aren't divorcing their other parent, you are.
- 9:54SPEAKER_00: So keep them out of the conflict.
- 9:57SPEAKER_00: Tip number seven is just about the boring stuff, the nuts and bolts.
- 10:02SPEAKER_00: All the boring but vitally important stuff.
- 10:06SPEAKER_00: Take control and get it sorted.
- 10:09SPEAKER_00: A S A P.
- 10:10SPEAKER_00: Things like copy and filing all your important documents together in one place.
- 10:16SPEAKER_00: Insurance documents, house contents, car, life insurance, wills, powers of attorney, copies of birth certificates, passports, all that stuff.
- 10:27SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk about money too, but also get clear ASAP on what you have and what you owe.
- 10:34SPEAKER_00: What do you have?
- 10:35SPEAKER_00: Real estate, cash, superannuation, investments, and what you owe.
- 10:39SPEAKER_00: Credit card, mortgage, personal loans, business loans.
- 10:42SPEAKER_00: Do the boring stuff.
- 10:44SPEAKER_00: Get it sorted, keep it all in one place.
- 10:47SPEAKER_00: One folder on your computer, one file in your filing cabinet, whatever it is.
- 10:53SPEAKER_00: Tip number eight: money.
- 10:55SPEAKER_00: Money really matters here.
- 10:57SPEAKER_00: You know it does, get it sorted.
- 11:01SPEAKER_00: Know what you've got, know what's coming in, know what's going out.
- 11:04SPEAKER_00: We don't love the word budget, but you really need clarity on your money situation.
- 11:10SPEAKER_00: Consider a financial advisor early on.
- 11:13SPEAKER_00: Go together if you can.
- 11:15SPEAKER_00: There are specialist financial advisors who will work with you while you separate, while you divorce, while you split out your finances.
- 11:23SPEAKER_00: But money matters here.
- 11:25SPEAKER_00: It's really important.
- 11:26SPEAKER_00: Get on top of it if you're not already.
- 11:28SPEAKER_00: Change any joint bank accounts to requiring dual signatures, not the right word.
- 11:34SPEAKER_00: But making sure that neither one of you can access the money without the other knowing.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: Consider having one account for mutually agreed expenses for the house, kids, dog, whatever it is, until you work out the details of your financial agreement.
- 11:48SPEAKER_00: Now, this is all of course, provided you are trusting of the other person, trusting of the other per the person that you're separating or divorcing from.
- 11:58SPEAKER_00: Whatever it takes for you, get clear on your money because it really matters.
- 12:04SPEAKER_00: Tip number nine is ask the experts.
- 12:07SPEAKER_00: You are not, hopefully, you are not a divorce expert.
- 12:11SPEAKER_00: So for anything that's outside your comfort zone, for anything that you don't know, find an expert opinion.
- 12:17SPEAKER_00: Be that money, investments, mortgage, insurance, psychology, parenting, the law, family law, whatever you need, find your expert team and ask for the help you need.
- 12:31SPEAKER_00: A lot of these experts will offer you a 20 or 30-minute free intro chat.
- 12:36SPEAKER_00: You can ask some questions.
- 12:38SPEAKER_00: So ask an expert, get the answers you need, get educated because that is empowering.
- 12:44SPEAKER_00: Number 10, I sort of touched on this earlier.
- 12:48SPEAKER_00: Create a divorce file.
- 12:50SPEAKER_00: Document and record everything, ensuring everyone's on the same page, has the same information, and is understands it all.
- 12:58SPEAKER_00: When emotions are high, it's really easy to misunderstand, mishear, misconstrue.
- 13:04SPEAKER_00: So take notes, screenshots, file all emails, document all your conversations.
- 13:10SPEAKER_00: If you're aiming for a collaborative and amicable separation, and you fully trust your ex, you know, you can share with your ex what you're doing and why.
- 13:19SPEAKER_00: This is also backup for if things go pear-shaped.
- 13:23SPEAKER_00: So create a divorce file, document everything, keep it all in one place.
- 13:29SPEAKER_00: Tip number 11 for a low-conflict divorce is choose to forgive.
- 13:34SPEAKER_00: Forgiving is an active choice that you can make to let go of blame and shame.
- 13:41SPEAKER_00: So forgive yourself for whatever you did or didn't do, all the reasons, all the stories, forgive yourself.
- 13:49SPEAKER_00: Forgive your ex.
- 13:50SPEAKER_00: It does not mean you have to forget the pain of your relationship breakdown or your marriage breakdown, but it is a powerful step to enable you to move forward collaboratively.
- 14:04SPEAKER_00: You don't have to forget wrongs done and hurts inflicted, but remember forgiveness is something that you do for yourself, not for your ex-partner.
- 14:14SPEAKER_00: And number 12 is accept and release.
- 14:35SPEAKER_00: I would love to support you.
- 14:37SPEAKER_00: And now back to this week's episode.
- 14:41SPEAKER_00: Tip number 12, accept and release.
- 14:44SPEAKER_00: Accept that your ex will not miraculously change just because you're getting divorced.
- 14:49SPEAKER_00: Behaviours and responses are often deeply entrenched.
- 14:54SPEAKER_00: So don't be surprised if the dance between you continues in a very similar pattern even after you've separated.
- 15:01SPEAKER_00: Find a way to release yourself from your ex, a meet a meditation, a ritual, journaling, counselling, go on a retreat, throw a divorce party, write down all the reasons why you're getting divorced and burn it, whatever it is.
- 15:17SPEAKER_00: Find a way to release yourself from your ex and from the dance.
- 15:23SPEAKER_00: Then choose to respond differently so things can change.
- 15:28SPEAKER_00: Accept that your ex won't change, find a way to release it so that things you can respond differently, and then things can change.
- 15:38SPEAKER_00: Similarly, tip number 13 is heal.
- 15:42SPEAKER_00: Heal your heart.
- 15:43SPEAKER_00: Give yourself the time and space that you need to work through your feelings and heal your heart.
- 15:49SPEAKER_00: Don't rush it, don't push it, don't allow anyone else to dictate how you should be feeling or what you should be doing.
- 15:58SPEAKER_00: But know that holding on to heartbreak actually keeps you stuck in the past.
- 16:03SPEAKER_00: And it's difficult to keep things amicable, low conflict if you are still hurting, if you are still allowing that raw pain to dictate how you behave, how you speak, how you interact with your ex.
- 16:22SPEAKER_00: So take the time to heal your own heartbreak.
- 16:28SPEAKER_00: Tip number 14 is rediscover yourself.
- 16:31SPEAKER_00: In any relationship, we tend to compromise, we tend to give up parts of ourselves, we tend to minimize parts of our being that perhaps don't fit so well in that relationship.
- 16:45SPEAKER_00: This is a real opportunity for you to reconnect to and reclaim those parts of yourself, the things that you maybe used to enjoy before this relationship started.
- 16:56SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's an opportunity to try something different.
- 16:59SPEAKER_00: Really stretch your own boundaries, personal boundaries, push, push up against and step over the boundaries that you perhaps previously placed around yourself and your life, or the limitations that being in this particular relationship placed upon you.
- 17:15SPEAKER_00: You know, choose something new, discover yourself, rediscover yourself, reconnect to and rediscover yourself.
- 17:23SPEAKER_00: Number 15.
- 17:25SPEAKER_00: Celebrate being solo, celebrate being single.
- 17:30SPEAKER_00: Here's an invitation dare to be alone, to embrace solitude and solo life.
- 17:38SPEAKER_00: Use it as an opportunity to get to know yourself and to really connect with yourself again, to get to know and love yourself again.
- 17:47SPEAKER_00: Give yourself the space and freedom to choose just for you without considering anyone else.
- 17:54SPEAKER_00: Divorce and solo life, celebrating and embracing that solo life afterwards can be a beautiful gift of freedom where you just get to choose for you.
- 18:06SPEAKER_00: Tip number 16 for keeping at low conflict is respect your ex.
- 18:11SPEAKER_00: Yep, you're divorced or you're getting divorced for really good reasons, but you loved each other once.
- 18:18SPEAKER_00: So extend him or her courtesy and respect.
- 18:22SPEAKER_00: It does not mean that you have to opt into bullshit or take responsibility for stuff that's not yours, but respect is actually really powerful and can help you move forward.
- 18:34SPEAKER_00: Respect and even just a little bit of compassion and kindness can go a long way to helping the two of you move forward to a new future.
- 18:44SPEAKER_00: I said earlier, don't speak badly of your ex in front of your kids.
- 18:48SPEAKER_00: Um, and I would say mutual fam mutual friends or extended family members should be included in that.
- 18:55SPEAKER_00: Don't speak badly in front in front of them about your ex ever.
- 19:00SPEAKER_00: With your kids, it's about teaching them how to do hard things with kindness, compassion, and respect.
- 19:06SPEAKER_00: It's about teaching them, it's teaching them about respectful relationships by how you behave, by your actions and your words.
- 19:13SPEAKER_00: They're watching and they are learning.
- 19:15SPEAKER_00: I touched on it earlier, it can be surprising who is and isn't willing to maintain or hold your words, what you share with them, private.
- 19:32SPEAKER_00: So don't speak badly of your ex in front of others unless you are really sure of their loyalty.
- 19:42SPEAKER_00: Tip number 17 is an extension of that.
- 19:46SPEAKER_00: It is choose kindness.
- 19:48SPEAKER_00: There will likely be times when your ex, your co-parent drops into a negative space, old patterns don't engage there and don't respond in kind, don't respond in the same way.
- 20:01SPEAKER_00: If you have kids, as I said, they are watching, they are learning from you, they are watching how you behave and they are learning from you.
- 20:08SPEAKER_00: So whenever you can, choose kindness, choose to be kind, choose to be generous, don't allow your boundaries to be trampled all over, of course.
- 20:19SPEAKER_00: But a little bit of kindness will diffuse a lot of conflict and save you drama, heartbreak, energy, time, effort, and ultimately money.
- 20:32SPEAKER_00: So choose the kind path when you can, provided it doesn't ask you to step over your boundaries.
- 20:39SPEAKER_00: Choosing kindness also means choosing yourself, right?
- 20:42SPEAKER_00: Tip number 18: co-parenting.
- 20:46SPEAKER_00: Cooperative co-parenting.
- 20:48SPEAKER_00: Remember, your kids are not divorcing their other parent you are.
- 20:52SPEAKER_00: They deserve and they need two parents to support them through the separation and divorce with the least trauma possible and to help them transition to a new way of being a family because you're still a family, right?
- 21:05SPEAKER_00: Even though it's one that's taking them on a different form.
- 21:08SPEAKER_00: You're still a family.
- 21:10SPEAKER_00: So try writing your parenting plan directly to your kids.
- 21:14SPEAKER_00: Dear Tom and Ella, blah blah blah.
- 21:17SPEAKER_00: This focuses your attention where it should be on the kids.
- 21:21SPEAKER_00: Do keep your ex informed and up to date on what's happening with the kids and expect the same from him or her.
- 21:30SPEAKER_00: Don't think or act like a sole parent and exclude the other person from important or even not so important events or activities.
- 21:38SPEAKER_00: Try and make the bigger decisions together and let the kids see you are doing that.
- 21:44SPEAKER_00: There's a really good part of the podcast episode with Claire Rowe, the child psychologist, where she steps through a process or a way of sharing with the kids, even if it's high conflict, the adults will look after that.
- 21:58SPEAKER_00: Dad and I have decided that even if it's the court that's decided, right?
- 22:03SPEAKER_00: You can present to the kids a way of you can present the k to the kids an illusion, I guess, that you are co-parenting, even if it is not possible that for you to do that with your ex-partner.
- 22:17SPEAKER_00: So aim for it.
- 22:19SPEAKER_00: Aim for cooperation.
- 22:20SPEAKER_00: Aim for co-parenting, aim for collaboration.
- 22:23SPEAKER_00: Not always possible, I know, but if if it is for you, remember that you're still a parenting team.
- 22:30SPEAKER_00: Be flexible where you can um help each other every time you choose the cooperative, collaborative, compassionate path with your co-parent, your kids benefit.
- 22:43SPEAKER_00: Tip number 19 set and hold healthy boundaries.
- 22:48SPEAKER_00: Set them early in the process and hold to them.
- 22:51SPEAKER_00: If possible discuss them together.
- 22:53SPEAKER_00: Not always possible I know separating divorcing for really good reasons and probably communication breakdown is one of those reasons.
- 23:01SPEAKER_00: But if you can discuss your boundaries together especially any that involve your kids you know boundaries may need to be set around space when and where your ex can be around you or come to your home they may need to be set around time how long he or she can spend around you and how much how much you are available to them.
- 23:22SPEAKER_00: It might be about communication when what form this takes and also parenting you know if you're still navigating early days how that's going to look you need to set boundaries around who does what and when overstepping of boundaries is often a component of relationship breakdown and I work on this with my one-to-one clients setting and holding healthy boundaries.
- 23:45SPEAKER_00: So this may be a new skill set for you.
- 23:48SPEAKER_00: Seek support from professionals if you need to happy to have a call to see if I'm the one for you of course but set and hold healthy boundaries around your time your energy your communication all the things and tip number 20 is focus forward.
- 24:08SPEAKER_00: Decisions you make now will affect your life your kids' life and future they are big life altering decisions.
- 24:19SPEAKER_00: So focus forward two five ten years time where do you want to be how do you want to be living you know letting go of the fairy tale happy after happy ever after ending that you thought you'd have be having when you got married or when you entered this relationship you actually free yourself to create a new story and to aim for a different happy ever after remember too it wasn't all bad you loved each other once and you've shared a journey that is ending now your divorce is just one more part of that journey.
- 24:54SPEAKER_00: So if you can shift your focus from the mess that you're in to the future focus forward where you're headed where you're going that can help dial down the conflict dial down the indecision dial down the overwhelm and keep things calm for you now.
- 25:12SPEAKER_00: So shift your focus forward how do you want things to be in two, five, ten years' time and with this particular thing that is niggling away at you or creating conflict or has the potential to create conflict between you and your soon to be ex, is it going to matter next week next year or in ten years time?
- 25:31SPEAKER_00: If you would like to explore working with me through your separation, divorce reorganisation of family afterwards let's have a chat.
- 25:39SPEAKER_00: Book a free intro call via the link in the show notes I would love to talk with you no pressure and explore how that might look.
- 25:48SPEAKER_00: For now thank you for being here until next time.
- 25:53SPEAKER_00: I'm Sally Ann Hartnell Relationship Coach and you've been listening to Reflect, reclaim and liberate you can follow me on Instagram at ReflectCoaching and if you can think of anyone who would love this episode please please share it with them.
- 26:07SPEAKER_00: I'd also be so grateful if you'd follow the podcast and review this episode so we can get it in the ears of a whole lot more humans just like you who are ready to reclaim and liberate themselves in life and love.
- 26:19SPEAKER_00: I hope you'll join me next time for another episode of Reflect, Reclaim and Liberate.
- 26:24SPEAKER_00: Until then