There are a few interesting statistics regarding divorce in the United States. First, the marriage rate has slowly declined since the early 1970s, while the divorce rate has grown. Additionally, while some states have significantly higher divorce rates than others, the overall rate is quite similar.
Interestingly, second marriages have an even higher chance of ending in divorce than first marriages – with some estimates suggesting that as many as 60% of second marriages will end in divorce. This may be due to many factors, including that people who have been divorced once are more likely to get divorced again. In addition, couples in second marriages often face additional challenges such as blending families.
There are many reasons why a couple might choose to get divorced. Sometimes, the relationship has run its course, and both parties feel ready to move on. Other times, more severe problems may have led to an irreparable breakdown in communication and trust. However, for some, especially those who have started a business together, the business itself can be a reason for divorce.
Divorce hurts more if it’s part of something you’ve built with your ex-partner. It’s hard to see all your hard work go down the drain, but it’s possible to rebuild it together again. This time under different circumstances. Here are ways you and your ex-partner can work on the business you’ve worked together to build.
Think About Yourself First
Divorce is one of the harshest experiences that any human being can experience. It can lead to multiple mental disorders such as phobias, depression, and substance abuse. So before anything else, before you even re-start your business with your ex-partner, you should think about yourself first.
Getting help is crucial, and you can’t communicate appropriately with your ex-partner if you don’t get help first. Take a couple of weeks or maybe months off. Do something you like that can make you forget about what happened, and once you’re ready, it’s time to communicate and evaluate what happened.
Evaluate where things went wrong
The first step is to look at where things went wrong in your business relationship. This can be difficult to do, but it’s essential to be honest with yourself and your ex-partner about what led to the breakup of your business partnership. Once you’ve identified the issues, you can start to work on resolving them.
It’s important to set expectations with your ex-partner. What do you expect to happen re-starting your business? Is there a goal you both want to achieve? What are some ground rules that you both agree to? These are all important questions to answer before you re-start your business together.
You can also start working things out with the help of a professional. A family attorney can help you set things straight. A business expert can give you tips. Get any professional that can help you out.
Start Small
One way to help transition back into business together is to start small. Don’t dive in headfirst and try to take on everything you were doing before. Start with one project, or maybe even just a specific task, and work your way up from there. This will help to ease the tension and stress that can come with working together again.
Set Boundaries
It’s also important to set boundaries with your ex-partner. Just because you’re no longer married doesn’t mean that you have to be best friends. You need to remember that you’re still two separate people with your wants and needs. This means that you should both have some time away from work – and each other – to focus on yourselves.
Communicate openly and honestly
One of the most important things you can do when working on rebuilding your business relationship is to communicate openly and honestly with each other. This means being willing to listen to each other’s concerns and ideas and being open to compromise. It’s also important to keep the lines of open communication outside of work, so you can still support each other as co-parents or friends.
Skeletons in the closet (?)
Now starting a business relationship with your ex-partner can be complicated, considering that there will be some skeletons left in the closet. However, it’s best to address these issues head-on. This means that you need to be open and honest with each other about your past. If there are things that you’re not proud of, or if there are things that still bother you, talk about them. This can help clear the air and start your business relationship on the right foot.
Conclusion
Rebuilding your business relationship after a divorce can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. It will take time, patience, and effort, but creating a successful working relationship with your ex-partner is possible. If you’re willing to work on it, you can make it happen.