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3.18 Conclusion

It’s not easy to reach agreement on the issues of separation. This chapter has provided you with skills to prepare you to communicate and negotiate, as well as to manage your emotions throughout the process.

After separation, it’s hard to communicate positively with your former spouse. It’s hard to negotiate agreements that are in the best interests of everyone involved. Dealing with someone when there is high conflict can be a very stressful. You need to work hard to remain calm, professional and focused.

You’ve learned ways to manage your own emotions earlier this chapter. In particular you learned about ways to avoid getting emotionally stuck and methods to deal with your emotions when they do take over. Taking care of yourself goes hand in hand with managing your emotions, refer back to the methods discussed in Chapter 1.

Moving forward you are going to use the strategies for good communication and be able to tailor your approach depending on the level of conflict you’re dealing with. And these skills will help you negotiate with your former spouse. By employing the win-win method of negotiations you’re more likely to reach an agreement that will be workable and long lasting. 

In the next chapter, you will learn about the range of help that is available to you, as you move through the process of trying to reach an agreement.