Can a divorce be amicable?
The answer is yes, but the process is inherently conflicted, because one party usually seeks money or property from the other party, and that party would prefer to pay little or nothing. If the parties have child custody or visitation issues, or move away issues, often the taps are opened widely, and the bloodbath begins, and does not end until the court rules or the parties, or one of them, runs out of money. Many amicable divorces occur because one spouse wants the divorce, the other hopes to reconcile, and the “hoper” believes that by being pleasant and agreeable, he or she may reconcile with the other spouse. These hopes are most often dashed, and the hurt spouse often tries to “get even” later, by withholding access to the children, stopping the payment of support, interfering with the sale of the home, or other obnoxious conduct.
