Tactics for Overcoming a Stalemate in a Collaborative Divorce

When most spouses in North Carolina approach a collaborative divorce, their biggest fear is probably a stalemate. These spouses understand that if they fail to come to an agreement, there can be legitimate and worrying consequences for their divorce. While this is true, a stalemate does not necessarily equate to a complete breakdown of negotiations. As any skilled divorce attorney will tell you, there are many ways to overcome these stalemates and strive toward a positive legal outcome. Even when it seems impossible for either spouse to come to an agreement, trained professionals can step in and use a variety of tactics to overcome deadlocks and get the collaborative divorce process back on track. 

This is one of the key reasons why working with an experienced divorce attorney in North Carolina is so important. If you have chosen collaborative divorce, it makes sense to get in touch with an attorney who has specific experience with this area of the law. Our legal professionals are no strangers to these kinds of stalemates, and we have helped numerous couples overcome these impasses in the past. Suppose you are not quite sure about whether or not collaborative divorce is the right choice for you. In that case, our attorneys can explain some of our negotiation methods, helping you approach this process with greater confidence. 

One of the first positive steps you can take is to put all of the various alternatives on the table. If both spouses are unhappy with the options that have been presented, they may simply be unaware that there is another path that they can take. It is the job of divorce attorneys to make sure that all the alternatives are on the table. Once the spouses are aware of these options, they can decide whether or not there are alternatives that could be acceptable for both parties. 

It is easy to feel scared when the negotiations hit a roadblock. Many spouses have a tendency to be quite negative when this happens, assuming that this will result in the complete breakdown of the collaborative divorce process. As you probably already know, this can result in some serious legal consequences. However, it is important to stay positive during all of this. A few constructive words can help both spouses put everything in perspective and realize that this issue is not quite as big as they thought. Many collaborative divorce lawyers remind spouses of how far they have come in the negotiations, showing them examples of how they have overcome disputes in the past. 

Sometimes, the simplest solution is actually the most effective. Stepping away from the negotiation table and giving spouses time to think things over can be exactly what everyone needs. When spouses feel pressured to make a decision within a short time frame, it can make them “freeze” up and push back against compromises. A relatively short break will not add too much time to the overall process, and it can have excellent results. 

Another solution is to simply move on. You can always come back to the same issue later, and this might be the best choice if there seems to be no viable solution at that particular moment. Unless this issue is the last thing you have to agree upon, there will be plenty of other topics you can tackle in the meantime. When you finish those, you can return to the topic that caused the deadlock. By this point, both spouses will probably be so eager to end the negotiations that they will be more willing to compromise and wrap things up.

Another effective tactic is to ask the spouses to put themselves in each other’s shoes. Although this is not always easy (especially when you are dealing with someone who has low empathy and overall emotional intelligence), it can work wonders under the right circumstances. Suddenly, spouses realize that their demands are actually pretty unreasonable, and they become more likely to negotiate effectively and come to a compromise. 

If you have been searching the North Carolina area for a qualified, experienced divorce attorney, look no further than Arnold Smith, PLLC. We have a wide range of potential strategies up our sleeves that can help couples resolve their differences during the collaborative divorce process. Although these negotiations can indeed feel hopeless at times, there is always a solution. No matter how unwilling each spouse is to budge, skilled professionals can utilize their negotiation skills to get the negotiations moving once again. Reach out today, and we can explain why there is nothing to fear from potential deadlocks as you approach your collaborative divorce.