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How To Get A Divorce The Peaceful Way - Even If Your Ex Is Not On Board! 


In my 26 years as a divorce attorney, and especially the last dozen years that I have been a divorce mediator, a phrase I have heard very often when I get up on my soapbox about Peaceful Divorce is, “but you don’t know my ex!” or “it’s not possible to have a peaceful divorce in my situation”. Not so. You Can learn how to get a divorce the peaceful way,  whether your spouse or ex is on board right now or not.

Now that may not be what you want to hear because what it does is place the responsibility for your life right back where it belongs, with you.  Believe me, a lot of the resistance you are feeling when you think of changing your story about your relationship with your spouse or ex is for this very reason!

 

Nonetheless, this is the way life works. You are creating your life by the primary thoughts you are thinking, and the feelings you are feeling through the universal law of attraction. Divorce doesn’t exempt you from the laws of life! You are creating your reality! The time to own it is now!

That’s good news! Isn’t it a relief? Isn’t it empowering to understand that you have the power to change your relationship with your spouse or ex by changing your attitude, and when that changes, everything changes?

But I’ve tried that, you say! It doesn’t work! Oh yes it does. You must be consistent, and persistent. Are you holding the vision of the relationship you would like with your spouse or ex?  What does it look like?  Hold that vision consistently, and patiently, and it will begin to materialize before your very eyes. You know that what you focus on expands! What do you want your divorce to look like? Your life afterwards? What are you focusing on? What you want, or what you don’t want?

 

Are you focusing on what is right with your spouse or ex instead of what is wrong? Are you making a concerted effort to remember the qualities you respected and admired when you married this person and perhaps had children with them?

Going through divorce is like driving a car. Are you looking through the windshield, toward where you are going, or through the rear view mirror, stuck in the past? Be proactive in creating the vision of what you want it all to look like and consistently hold that vision. What vision are you holding? Is it of a peaceful divorce? Is it of a respectful, effective co-parenting relationship with your spouse or ex? Is it of healthy, happy children and meaningful future relationships for yourself?

Don’t give up!  Hold the vision of what you want, not what you don’t want! You will move in the direction you are looking and before you know it, you will have created a peaceful divorce, and the pathway to being happily divorced, if that is what you truly desire. 


Click here to learn the ten worst mistakes you can make when getting a divorce.


Cynthia Tiano, Esq.

"The Mediator"


by PeacefulDivorce  18 Posts 

Posted on 6/12/2008 9:18 PM
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Comments for "How To Get A Divorce The Peaceful Way - Even If Your Ex Is Not On Board!"  (15) (You must be logged in to answer)




Read previous post first.

The next step is reconciliation.  I don't necessarily mean getting back together as a couple.  What I mean is moving from anger to cordial to maybe even casual friends.  However, I believe, because reconciliation is a two-way street, that the other party (actually both parties) must make retribution.  Retribution actually means to turn around.  What it means is both sides must admit and be truly sorry for their errors AND show that their behavior has changed.

Without reconciliation you can still have a wonderful life and even a good relationship with your ex - because you have dropped the baggage and they no longer have ANY hold over you.  Maybe in time they will see this and seek some sort of reconciliation as I defined it and maybe they won't.  However, we who have been harmed will be FREE.

I think that may be what Cynthia is trying to say.  It does take time though and you do need to work through all your feelings and steps to heal - just don't wait too long.
by hutchIN   182 Posts
Posted on 8/31/2008 7:16 PM
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Everyone makes good points here and it almost sounds like the people on this site (all of whom I admire) are the abandoned ones and Cynthia is the one who initiated the divorce and wants to move on. Cynthia don't say anything yet until I finish. So this thread reminds me of divorce. Now, with all that said, in the end I agree whole heartedly with Cynthia. However, for all of us out here who are still dealing with difficult ex's, abuse, abandonment, financial issues, etc, you have to be ready to drop the baggage and move on when you are ready. There will be a time and place if you work at it. It just may not be now and you have a right to your feelings. For example, I believe righteous anger and drawings boundaries in a divorce with you ex is justified and warranted. Keep the kids totally away from all of this. During healing you need to get this out - but carefully. By righteous you are balancing the scales a bit or you are being assertive towards your needs. We don't do it perfectly but you must work through it and not be a doormat. You can see changes in your ex by forming boundaries. You may get nothing from righteous anger but it does help. Now in the end Cynthia is correct. In short order we all need to forgive our ex for WHATEVER they did to truly heal. By forgiveness I do not mean telling them, or forgetting or condoning behavior or not continuing to draw boundaries. What I do mean is dropping our baggage and eliminating their debt to us. Forgiveness is a one-way street and is very liberating. I am not there yet but working hard to get there. Forgiveness is not a feeling it is a state of mind - the feelings will come later. Next post is the next step
by hutchIN   182 Posts
Posted on 8/31/2008 7:12 PM
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Hi Elane -

Thanks for your comments, they are thoughtful, and I appreciate them.

Yes, I am divorced, and happily so.  I am also happily remarried.

I know my point of view may seem overly optimistic, but it is what I truly believe and what I have experienced both in my personal and professional life.  No, I haven't just mediated with couples who are seeking a peaceful divorce, actually my specialty is with the very high-conflict couples.  I am hired primarily by the lawyers, so the parties are already in the thick of it when they come to me. 

I appreciate your comments regarding the book and audio program, and the free ebook, and I can understand how you feel about it.  That book and audio program took a year to create and both Dr. Max and I gave our whole hearts and 50 years of combined experience so that we could help families avoid the devastation of the adversarial legal system.  I truly believe that anyone who reads it will be helped immeasurably.  But perhaps you are right, that I shouldn't offer it here.  I am sorry if I offended you in any way, my intention is truly to help.

Cynthia
by PeacefulDivorce   18 Posts
Posted on 6/24/2008 12:04 PM
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By the way, having looked at the link you always provide, it seems to lead to a website where you are selling a product...a book full of advice, which I believe violates something here....about promoting your personal business? Please don't use people going thru a crisis to further yourself financially.  Not here.  This is where we come to talk to other people going thru the process.  Are you divorced Cynthia?  Just curious.  You don't seem to list anything about yourself here other than the link to your "website" about your book.
by elane   348 Posts
Posted on 6/22/2008 12:14 AM
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As much as I admire what you are trying to say, I think you are seeing things through rose colored glasses, just a bit.  The people here have many different circumstances, through which it is very difficult to stay positive about someone else. All we can do is work on ourselves.  We cannot control what others do, just as Trisha and Jazz both have said.  As a mediator, you have seen many many couples.  But from what I understand, those would be the ones seeking out a peaceful divorce?  Some of our exes, and truthfully, some of us on here are not as level headed.  Emotions, abuse, and finances tend to interfere with being so logical and positive.  We can only do our best.  And, at the end of every day, we can take a look back at the choices we've made, and learn from them, whether they were good, or not so good.  Some days, it's both.  Nobody's perfect.  Anger is a natural human emotion, as are happiness, sadness, and joy.  It is, in my opinion, unhealthy to stifle what is a natural progression of emotions.  As you would know, being a mediator, there is a process we all need to go through to grieve the loss of a special relationship.  I think THAT is what a lot of people here are trying to do....get themselves a healthy place to express what their feeling, without being too harshly judged.  As good as your intentions are, I think maybe some are not ready to be THAT positive just yet.  But we work hard to get to a better place tomorrow than we are in today.  Just my opinion.
by elane   348 Posts
Posted on 6/22/2008 12:10 AM
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It all boils down to, how is what you are doing working?  If you are happy and what you are doing in your divorce and relationship with your spouse or ex is working, by all means keep doing that!  But if it's not working, you may want to consider trying something different.  If nothing else, this formula (which is the formula from The Secret) will make you feel better about what you are experiencing.  Isn't that the point?

Cynthia Tiano, Esq.
"The Mediator"
www.happilydivorced.org

by PeacefulDivorce   18 Posts
Posted on 6/14/2008 10:16 AM
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By the way Trisha, lots of people pay $300 per hour to listen to my ramblings.  :-)

Cynthia Tiano, Esq.
"The Mediator"
www.happilydivorced.org
by PeacefulDivorce   18 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 6:39 PM
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sooo...the two young girls wanted to be shot in the head and chest, Nicole wanted to have her throat sliced and Laci wanted her and her baby to die...okay, gotcha. 

I wanted to have the man I loved more then my own life nearly kill me and make his own children homeless. 

Maybe this is a "common" response to this simple idea for a reason.  Here's some good ol' Kitchen Logic passed on by my Grams..if lot's of people are trying to tell you something they probably have a point. 

Just sayin'....
by jazzij   37 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 6:21 PM
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This is a very common response to this concept of the law of attraction.  Remember, I have been a divorce mediator for over twelve years.  I have done over a thousand mediations. 

It is not a matter of blame, it is a matter of focusing consistently on what you want.  That is what I believe and that is what I experience in my personal and professional life.  I have seen miracles happen with couples and exes over and over again.

You've got to admit, it couldn't hurt to focus on what you want!
by PeacefulDivorce   18 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 6:11 PM
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I meant to say, worse yet, how does this flawed logic work to explain the recent killing of the two young girls in OK?  What on earth did they do to bring that on to themselves? 

Nothing.  There are forces we cannot control.  Other people for one.
by jazzij   37 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 5:56 PM
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If only this really WERE the way it works in life.  Those who put out positive energy would get it back.  If only you wait long enough it will come back to you. 

If that really did work then what happened to people like Laci Peterson?  Nicole Simpson?  What did they do wrong?  If they were so able to control life did they choose what happened to them?  I don't think so...

Or worse yet, how does this flawed logic work?  You cannot will someone to change.  If that's the case people would be giving me money, the oil nations would lower the price of gas, and there would be no abuse in my world...just for starters.
by jazzij   37 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 5:53 PM
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I'm focusing on what I need to do to receive my well earned alimony for the next 5 years and to block the games he still tries to play on me. It is my only income. I'm not the one playing games. I could care less what he does as long as he leaves me alone.
Until you have to deal with someone who has a mental disorder you have no idea what I deal with. I'm not interested in your ramblings.
Thanks anyway.
by trisha9054   4967 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 5:39 PM
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Trisha -

Sorry, I meant to leave my full name and website for you.  It is Cynthia Tiano, Esq., and my website is www.happilydivorced.org.
by PeacefulDivorce   18 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 4:32 PM
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Hi Trisha -

Have you tried the formula set forth in the journal entry?   If not, you may want to give it a try.  It really is the formula from "The Secret".  You also may want to take another look at your response.  What does it sound like to you that you are focusing on?

You have more power to effect the change you want in your life than you know!

Regards,

Cynthia
by PeacefulDivorce   18 Posts
Posted on 6/13/2008 4:23 PM
1





I'm sorry I don't get where you are coming from. I have always treated my ex with respect. But even after the peaceful divorce we did have he is still trying to cause me problems. And I am still having to correct those problems so I will have health insurance and a peaceful life. It took almost two months to get his company to recognize I was entitled to my health ins. He lied about the date of our divorce so I would not be eligible for Cobra insurance.

The qualities I admired and respected in my spouse were all an act. A false front to hide who he really was. I was used as an illusion to show everyone he was normal while he cheated with one woman after another. By my reckoning at a minimum the number would be over sixty and that is just counting three women for every job location change. I did not know about all of this until after I received my divorce. He could leave work and his paycheck was always correct and the hours were right. He is in Texas now and I know of at least 5 women in the last year behind the new "wife's" back.

My divorce atty. didn't believe me when I consulted him about a divorce. But when I got the info I needed he now believes anything I tell him about my ex. He has done nothing but divorces for over 30 years. I was proactive through out my divorce but you have to look at the past to get to the future. I will always have to watch my back with my ex. If he can cause me harm and look innocent he will.

But let me say; I don't wish him any ill will. I am not that kind of person. And I didn't take him to the cleaners. I just want my money and for him to quit playing childish games on me. When I married him I had all the assets. I fully intended to walk away with a 3 bedroom furnished house which is what I had when I married him.
by trisha9054   4967 Posts
Posted on 6/12/2008 10:20 PM
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