Going through a troubled divorce usually means that both exes are on edge. Communication can often be tense, but it’s still necessary if they have children together. There may come a time when you get a contentious message from your ex. Determining how to handle this might be challenging.
You have several options to consider when trying to determine how you’ll respond to the message. Be sure you think about what’s best for the children before you make your decision about what to do. Part of co-parenting is making sure that you don’t let the tension between you and your ex impact the children.
Should you reply?
Whether you should reply or not depends on a variety of factors. If the message is directly related to the children, you may have to reply. But, if it’s not about the kids, it might be best to just walk away. If you do decide to answer, keep it focused on the children.
You may not always get civilized conversation from an ex, but you should try to always be business-like in your replies. There’s a chance these messages can be shared with the court if custody decisions need to be made. Because of this, it’s best to avoid giving your ex any fuel to use against you.
Making sure you have a parenting plan in place can help you to adjust to co-parenting. This should be done as soon as possible so that everyone can get used to the new way of life. Working with someone who’s familiar with these types of cases might help you to come up with the terms for the agreement.
