Toxic Communication Patterns And How They Can Complicate Divorce In Fort Lauderdale
Communication problems complicate relationships and can be a major factor in getting a divorce. It can also make the divorce process more difficult. Our Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer explains some of the most common traits and how to prevent them from impacting your case.
Common Toxic Communication Traits
Couples tend to develop patterns of communicating with each other over the years. Once established, these can be extremely hard to break. According to Marriage.com, those that are most likely to be toxic to your relationship include:
- Defensiveness: As the name implies, this involves interpreting communication from your partner as criticism and feeling the need to constantly defend yourself as a result. It can prevent you from seeing your part in marital problems or working towards a solution.
- Criticism: In some cases, one or both parties are extremely critical, always ready to point the finger at the other. It can escalate to the point of being verbally abusive, in which one of the parties picks apart everything the other says or does.
- Gaslighting: Another type of communication style present in abusive relationships, gaslighting involves downplaying real problems in your relationship or denying what your partner otherwise knows is true.
- Shutting down: This is one of the most frustrating and infuriating communications, in which one of the partners refuses to communicate or otherwise engage in interaction. While taking a breather occasionally can be helpful, it is harmful when used to manipulate or punish a spouse.
- Steamrolling: This basically centers on an unwillingness to actually listen and a focus instead of dominating the conversation.
- Making assumptions. Similar to steamrolling, this involves problems with listening skills but fails to take in the facts involved in a matter, including how your partner actually feels.
How The Communication Patterns Impact Fort Lauderdale Divorce Proceedings
When going through a divorce in Fort Lauderdale, there are complex issues that must be resolved under the Florida Statutes before a final divorce order can be issued. These involve the rights to money and property, and the care of children, and generally require negotiations between you and your spouse.
Toxic communication traits in your partner and patterns in your relationships can create problems in these proceedings, which can end up costing you time and money. To get around this, our Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer recommends the following:
- Acknowledge any toxic communications patterns you or your spouse engage in;
- Do your part to actually listen and communicate in a healthy manner;
- Be willing to work with a mediator, which can help to avoid communication problems;
- Avoid speaking to your spouse or reacting to what they say, especially when your attorney is not present.
Contact Our Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer
Communication problems are common in marriage and can make getting a divorce more difficult. To protect yourself and your rights in these proceedings, get Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer Vanessa L. Prieto on your side. Call or contact us online and request a consultation today.
Sources:
marriage.com/advice/communication/toxic-communication-patterns/
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061.html
