People in New Jersey who are considering divorce might want to take some steps to try and save the marriage first. Divorce is a difficult process and can be particularly hard on children. Parents should consider how they will feel seeing their spouse with a new partner and the difficulties that arise in blending families.

It can often be helpful to go through marriage counseling, even for couples who ultimately decide to divorce. In fact, they can seek counseling that is specifically aimed at getting them past a point of ambivalence to make a decision. It is important for couples to commit to being honest during counseling. If either of them is involved in an extramarital affair, it should be ended so the person can concentrate on the marriage.

People should make an effort to think about what exactly the problem is in their marriage and their role in it. They might have grown apart, or they may be communicating badly or handling conflict poorly. They may want to think about how they once felt about their spouse and work toward restoring those feelings through behavior. Even if the marriage does not succeed, what a person learns in this process can help them in their next relationship.

Despite these efforts, some couples may find that divorce is the best solution for them. When this occurs, they will need to either negotiate an agreement for property division and child custody, if there are children, or they will need to go to court. Alimony and child support may also need to be determined. While negotiation can be faster and less costly than litigation, court may be necessary for a person to get the property settlement or child custody agreement that they need. An attorney might help a person prepare for negotiation or litigation.