Are you afraid that your marriage has deteriorated to the extent of possibly ending? If you never intended on getting divorced, you might want to take the steps to attempt improving your relationship. As long as your spouse is willing to work on the marriage, there is hope that things can get put back on track. However, you might need to hire a couple's therapist, such as through the Center For Family Guidance, to find out if the marriage is worth saving or not. Take a look at this article for some guidance on getting through the situation that you and your spouse are in.

1. Attempting to Save the Marriage

Ask your spouse if he or she is willing to attend a couple's therapy session with you to discuss marital problems. If he or she agrees, make an appointment with a therapist as soon as you are able to. Going through therapy is ideal for numerous reasons; including discovering how the marriage got to the bad condition that it is in. A therapist will observe you and your spouse as the problems are discussed and take note of any bad reactions, poor listening skills, and anything else that can cause conflicts. He or she will basically try to come up with resolutions to the problems that are in your marriage.

2. Signs That the Marriage is Over

It is possible that a therapist will determine that your marriage isn't in a good enough condition to save. He or she might recommend that you and your spouse separates, or actually move forward with getting divorced. There are several signs that a marriage is over, such as if your spouse is having an affair that he or she refuse to end. Another good sign that the marriage should end is if you are getting physically or mentally abused by your spouse, or if you are the abuser. If children are involved in the marriage and the problems are stressing them out, it might be time to get divorced.

3. Getting Out of the Marriage

If you and your spouse decide that it is time to get divorced, hiring a lawyer is the best way to do it in a cordial manner. A lawyer will make sure marital assets, child custody, and several other things are settled without a large amount of conflict. Keep in mind that a divorce is likely to be settled a lot faster when both parties are cooperative. However, a divorce can be a long process when there is conflict involved.