To love, honour, and cherish: Exploring ex-spousal friendship and divorce adjustment

Personal experience, research and literature suggest that ex-spousal relationships do occur, however the transitional process remains unclear. Little is known about the potential positive effects of divorce. The purpose of this study was to explore and foster an understanding of friendship with an ex-spouse and its influence on divorce adjustment.; This was a qualitative study which utilized the heuristic methodology of Clark Moustakas (1990). Data was collected during in-depth, open conversational interviews with six individuals about their experiences with the topic, and the researcher's self dialogue. In total, six categories, two sub-categories, and 32 themes were identified, described, and discussed. Results suggest that developing an ex-spousal friendship is a process, which seemed to facilitate personal growth and adjustment to the divorce. Authenticity and seeing the relationship as a continuum were important factors of the process. Implications for counselling, future areas of research and limitations to the study are included.