The Developmental Course of Conflict in the Marital Dissolution Process

The purpose of this study was to examine the developmental trend of conflict from the initial recognition that the marriage may dissolve to its legal termination. One hundred and seven participants completed a retrospective interview concerning their divorces. Levels of conflict, trust, ambivalence, love, and maintenance were assessed across three time periods during the divorce process. Conflict increased significantly from initial recognition to discussion and decreased significantly once action to secure a legal dissolution was initiated. The strongest predictors of conflict during the marital dissolution process were trust, ambivalence, and maintenance behaviors. Discussion focuses on the changing role of conflict during the divorce process.