Can Marriage Counseling Prevent A Divorce In Fort Lauderdale?
Watching your relationship fall apart is painful. Before ending the marriage, many couples opt to try marriage counseling instead. It can help resolve problems and move on from the past, but it can also confirm irreconcilable differences that make getting a divorce in Fort Lauderdale the most practical option. Our Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer explains what is involved and the types of situations in which marriage counseling is most likely to work.
What Happens In Marriage Counseling?
Relationships are hard work. Bad behavior on the part of one of the spouses, significant differences in opinion, and lack of communication cause resentment and increase the chances of getting a divorce in Fort Lauderdale.
Attending marriage counseling can help in some cases. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMF) states that over 90 percent of participants feel it has a positive impact on their mental health, regardless of whether they eventually got a divorce. How does marriage counseling work?
- Marriage counseling is brief and solution-focused.
- The average time to be in marriage therapy is 12 weeks.
- Your therapy sessions may consist of one-on-one talks with a counselor or sessions in which you and your spouse are present.
- Your therapist will work with you to identify issues between you as a couple, in your home, and with other family members.
Marriage therapy can help you gain new insights, clarify goals, and identify what is needed to salvage your relationship. However, it can also reveal what the Florida Statutes call irreconcilable differences, confirming a divorce in Fort Lauderdale is the best option.
When Marriage Counseling Can (and Can’t) Help Prevent A Fort Lauderdale Divorce
Some people have tried marriage counseling before contacting a Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer. Others consider it a last-ditch option, and after already filing a divorce petition through the Broward County Family Court. In either case, it can be beneficial for clients.
Ending a marriage is a big step, and couples should be encouraged to think carefully before making a final decision. Marriage counseling can be successful when both couples are committed to the relationship and willing to communicate and work with one another. Situations in which it is more likely not to work include:
- When each party is unwilling to admit what they may have done wrong;
- When they are unwilling to compromise on important issues, such as money or children;
- When one spouse has engaged in a pattern of bad behavior, such as suffering from addictions or being a serial adulterer;
- When dealing with intimidation, threats, and other abusive behavior.
Get Trusted Legal Guidance From Our Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer
Marriage counseling provides therapeutic guidance and can help determine whether your marriage is worth saving. If you are considering divorce and concerned about the process or the potential outcome, get the trusted legal guidance you need from Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer Vanessa L. Prieto. To request a confidential consultation, give us a call or contact our office online today.
Sources:
aamft.org/About_AAMFT/About_Marriage_and_Family_Therapists.aspx
leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm/Ch0322/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061.html
browardclerk.org/Divisions/Family#General
