A part of you will always love your husband, but there's no denying that things have gone south in recent years. Whereas the two of you were once deeply in love and valued your time together, you're now constantly at each other's throats and frequently looking for excuses to spend time apart. These days, it seems like the two of you can't even be in the same room without engaging in an epic shouting match. For the emotional wellbeing of yourself, your spouse and your children, things can't continue like this.

As much as you may hate to admit it, divorce seems like the most logical course of action. Having tried counseling, couples retreats and intense therapy to no avail, even you have to acknowledge that this marriage simply cannot be salvaged. However, the mere thought of going through a divorce fills you with an immense sense of dread. After seeing the way divorces play out on television, in movies and other forms of popular media, you're not sure you're up for such a hate-filled psychological slugfest. Fortunately, in contrast to the way divorce is portrayed across the entertainment spectrum, it's entirely possible to end a marriage with your dignity and emotional stability fully intact.

Hire the Right Attorney

When searching for the right divorce attorney, look for a law firm with a proven track record of overseeing amicable separations. In order to prolong divorce proceedings and ultimately get more money from their clients, many attorneys actively encourage animosity between exes. This type of divorce bodes well for neither your bank account nor emotional wellbeing. Even if you're seething with disdain for your ex, it's in your financial and psychological best interests to hire an attorney who stresses compromise.

Don't Treat Your Kids as Weapons

The messiest divorces tend to be the ones that involve children. In some cases, soon-to-be former spouses will be so eager to hurt one another, they'll bring their kids right into the crossfire. Whenever you limit your spouse's visitation time without a reason or badmouth him to your children, you're making your kids unwilling participants in a battle they have no business being a part of. Regardless of what you think of your ex, he's still the father of your children, and trying to turn his kids against him doesn't reflect well on you as a parent or a person. Additionally, it's important to remember that what goes around comes around. So if you speak ill of your ex in front of your children, there's no reason you shouldn't expect him to do the same.

Work out a Mutually Beneficial Custody Arrangement

To show your ex how willing you are to work with him, the two of you should sit down and work out a mutually beneficial custody arrangement. If you've been granted primary custody, you'll need to come up with a visitation schedule that works for both of you. When doing this, make sure to take each of your schedules into careful consideration and remember that neither one of you is going to be 100 percent satisfied with the final product.

Going through a divorce can take a heavy toll on both your emotions and personal finances. This stress is exponentially compounded when former spouses are determined to bleed each other dry. So if you're bound and determined to avoid a messy divorce, make a point of keeping things civil throughout your separation.