It can be easy to feel like your divorce is a competition when you and your spouse are vying for the same rights and assets. You might feel compelled to “win” the divorce, especially if your marriage ended on bad terms.
Treating a divorce as competition usually comes with unforeseeable consequences. There can hardly be a victor in a divorce because you will likely sustain tangible or emotional losses in your effort to win.
1. Time
The most readily-apparent thing that you will lose in a competitive divorce is time. Not only can the actual divorce proceedings drag on when you try to claim as much as possible, but you risk arguing over shared assets with your former spouse for years to come due to bitterness born during the divorce.
2. Your business
If you are a business owner, you are likely aware that your company is likely a marital asset that is subject to division in a divorce. In the absence of a more amicable agreement, you may have to sell your business altogether and split the proceeds with your spouse.
3. Your child’s happiness
Child custody is another area of divorce that could spark competitiveness if you are a parent. However, any resentment that builds between you and your former spouse can have long-lasting effects on your child. Children can experience a dramatic shift in their mental state and future outlook after a divorce, especially one that does not end amicably.
No one stands to benefit by trying to win in a divorce. Seeking a collaborative divorce could be a better mutually-beneficial solution for you and your spouse.