Divorce used to be less common. People didn’t have the option for a no-fault divorce, and the cases often felt very confrontational and contentious. Divorce was thought of as something dramatic that would put both parties in court to argue and dispute things for months before getting a ruling.
Certainly, these types of high-conflict cases still happen. But, on the whole, divorce has changed. It’s often easier than it used to be, and couples can simply use no-fault divorce to end a marriage when they want to. Many grew up with divorced parents and don’t think of it as some sort of outlier. The social stigma is not what it once was, and many people don’t consider a divorce to be a failed marriage but just another step in life.
All of that can lead to some dramatically uncontentious divorces. You can find stories of couples taking their children on joint vacations together, even though they have broken up. You’ll also find couples using birdnesting as a way to share the marital home after divorce so that the children do not have to move. At the very least, divorced couples seem to be able to do things like have joint birthday parties for their children where they get along and act friendly toward each other.
These examples show that a less contentious divorce is possible. You and your spouse will need to be on the same page and have this as your goal, however. Plus, no matter how contentious the case is or is not, it’s crucial that you know exactly what legal rights you have.
