La Familia de Broward Una herramienta útil para las necesidades de las familias hispanas
By Joryn Jenkins
As a family law attorney, I work with many couples who have made the hard decision to divorce. Having worked with couples from all different backgrounds and age groups, it takes a lot to surprise me anymore and I’ve seen just about every reason why people decide to separate.
While there’s nothing funny about divorce, my friends jokingly say that I am qualified to be a relationship expert with all the clients I have helped go through the process. It’s true: when you’ve worked with as many couples as I have, listening to their stories of why their marriage fell apart, it really opens your eyes to what makes a strong and thriving marriage, and what makes one not last.
Here are 8 relationship tips I’ve learned from my time in family law.
Understand that marriage is hard work
Commence your marriage with the idea that you will both work together on “being married” every day. Being married is not a state of being; it is a work in progress. And it is work. So don’t ignore problems when you first notice them. Work on them before they blow up and explode. Treat your spouse like a date every day. Notice the little things that attracted you to begin with and enjoy them every day; don’t take them for granted. Don’t allow familiarity to breed contempt.
Understand that your spouse-to-be will not change
My divorcing clients share why they are getting divorced; they often knew about their spouse’s behavior “flaw” or their relationship disconnect prior to getting married. About 95% of the time, they believed that it would change. Your spouse will not change, and, in fact, those little imperfections will only worsen over time. Realize early what they are, and determine if you can live with them forever before you tie the knot.
Consider whether to sign a prenuptial agreement
It gives you a way out and marriage is a forever commitment. Do you really want that? If you’re not ready to promise that you will stay together through thick or thin, perhaps you should not get married. While most attorneys will advise that a prenuptial agreement is a wise financial move, a wiser move is to wait to marry someone to whom you can really make that permanent pledge.
Marry someone who shares your financial views
Money is the most common cause of divorce; folks have diverse philosophies about how to handle the finances and, once they are teamed together in marriage, never really address how to harmonize their different value systems. They start out in love, and small disconnects go unnoticed. Later, when they are comfortable, they overlook larger disconnects; later still, they discount them. At some point, their differences become too great to ignore; they can’t make excuses anymore. Because the couple has never learned to address them, the financial issues have caused rifts in their abilities to communicate, to problem solve, and to grow together.
Decide to grow together
Let’s talk about the finances again. Many people marry before they have solidified their views on many issues, spending included. So take classes on spending, on child rearing, on religion, and on other sensitive topics before the issues start raising their ugly heads. Get educated together. This will ensure that you both have the same information. Then decide together how you will handle complex issues, before they arise and become emotional.
Share a hobby
Again, it is important to spend time together. You don’t have to share all of the same hobbies, but it is important to share most of them, considering that our hobbies consume much of what little free time we enjoy. Run races. Play golf. Watch movies. Play music together. My husband insists on running the weekend errands with me, instead of splitting up to get them done in twice the time. (I brag about this all the time, even though he first made this declaration 22 years ago!) Whatever interests you share, engage in them together. And if you don’t share them, then one of you must change your interest. My husband took up golf; I had no interest. But he was spending six hours every week out on a golf course somewhere so I took it up, too. I developed an interest, if not in the sport itself, at least in the nature I enjoyed while out on the course, and, more importantly, in the talking we did while we were out there.
Know that the grass isn’t greener
While it may be tempting to explore a new, exciting, attractive, and interesting person, remember that that person comes with his or her own set of flaws. The turmoil that an affair brings with it is not worth the excitement, and people do not end up any happier once the dust settles. Be happy with the one you have, and actively work together to remember why you chose each other.
Don’t give up too soon
Remember that you vowed to be together “for better, for worse,” and sometimes, it’s a “for worse” period. But, this too shall pass. The good times will return if you weather the storm together and don’t jump ship.
Joryn Jenkins is a trial attorney with 35 years of courtroom experience, now in private practice where she concentrates on the collaborative practice of family law. Ms. Jenkins received her B.A. degree from Yale University and her J.D. from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
