3 Ways To Improve Your Emails During The Divorce Process

When you're getting divorced, it will be hard for you to effectively communicate with your spouse. However, it is absolutely critical that you make sure that you are able to get the information that you need and give the information that your spouse needs in order for the divorce to be processed as quickly as possible. There is a good chance that you will be communicating by email, since it is easy to document and quick to send and get a response. There are a lot of things that can go wrong in an email that will result in you drawing out the divorce process longer than it has to be by enraging your spouse. Here are some tips to make sure that this doesn't happen.

1. Don't Email Angry

Whatever you do, don't email when you are emotionally compromised. If you needed a certain piece of information by a certain date from your spouse and weren't able to receive it, you might be tempted to send an angry email that questions your spouse's intelligence or character. This is going to be counterproductive, because your spouse is going to be even less likely to give you the information that you need. If you feel angry, give it some time. You can even write the email and save it to be reviewed and sent later.

2. Pretend Your Divorce is a Business Decision

Pretend that your divorce is a business decision being made between two companies: you and your spouse. You want the decision to be finalized quickly in order to make a profit and move on with your life. By ensuring that every email is as crisp, precise, and impersonal as a business email will help encourage your spouse to behave in the same manner and ensure that information, at least on your end, is easy to understand and prompt. By behaving well, you can foster an environment where the divorce can actually be completed, rather than an environment where Internet screaming matches take priority.

3. Only Put Facts in Your Emails

Don't put opinions. Don't put legal terms that you don't understand. Don't put threats. Just lay out the facts. Instead of writing "I'm not willing to give up the fine china. It's not like you'd do anything with it. Who are you going to invite over?" consider writing "I would prefer to keep the fine china because I used it more often than you during our marriage. Is there any way that you'd be willing to negotiate?" By speaking only in facts, you will keep your spouse from going on the defensive.

For more information about effective communication, talk to your divorce lawyer today.