Settle Your Case Quicker and Cheaper with Empathy

Fifty years ago, a song called “What the World Needs Now Is Love” assured us that love was the only thing the world needed more of.

Not to nitpick, but love isn’t the only thing the world has too little of. These days, it seems there’s an increasingly short supply of empathy as well. And lack of empathy can be a serious hindrance to settling your case, whether you choose ADR or a court-based divorce.

Spouses who use empathy to understand and identify with each other’s emotions and attitudes have a decided advantage in settling their cases. Borrowing from another lyric, if you can “walk a mile in your (spouse’s) shoes,” you’re likely to arrive at “yes” that much faster, easier and cheaper. Try to experience emotions and attitudes such as anxiety or entitlement that your spouse may have regarding certain issues. The resulting insights can be of tremendous assistance to you during settlement negotiation.

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