A divorce does not have to be destructive

Most people go into their marriage hoping for a bright future. Not all marriages go as planned, and that often leads to divorce. Your positive perspective can become negative when a good relationship goes bad.

Working for positive results now can help you change your future.

Your outlook can help you thrive

It is easy to hold onto negative feelings that come with divorce. Your attorney can help you set goals, and work with you to keep your relationship civil.

You might be able to mediate your case instead of going to court. That can help you talk through the issues and avoid the animosity that often comes up. Mediation can help you avoid child visitation and property division arguments.

Your divorce does not have to be entirely sad and depressing

You can negotiate a settlement now that helps you maintain a positive relationship.

Other techniques include:

• Building a support network. Your family and friends can support you.
• Emphasizing change and growth. Your divorce allows you to focus on yourself. You can build a brighter, more constructive future.
• Focusing on the future. Holding onto bad feelings, regardless of how bad your relationship became, is not a good idea. Divorce can get you out of a bad relationship and help you move forward.
• Keeping a positive perspective. Try not to say negative things about the situation to your children. Your former partner is still their parent. It does not help you or them to focus on your bad feelings.
• Start over. It might seem like it will never happen, but you can start a new life. A positive attitude will help.

When bad relationships end, you can put the negatives behind you. The positive resolution you achieve now can start you on a path to the brighter future you want.