If you're hoping to prevent an impending divorce, the first thing you'll need to do is to persuade your spouse to give your marriage another try. Obviously, this is easier said than done, and is not always possible, but the sooner you take action, the better your chances of preventing a divorce and hopefully building a stronger marriage for the future.

What Not to Do..

Having established that the first step in preventing a divorce is to get your husband or wife to give the relationship another chance, how can you achieve this? If you've been pleading and begging with them to come back to you, it's time to stop. This may at first seem counter-intuitive, but all it's likely to do is further convince them that divorce is the right way to go. Arguing with your spouse and trying to convince them to remain in the marriage will tend to make you seem desperate and needy in their eyes. It's also likely to increase negative, resentful feelings towards you and scupper any chances of preventing a divorce.

Try this approach instead.

* The first step in preventing a divorce is to try to agree to spend some quality time together. Sit down and talk honestly about your feelings and the issues which have had a negative effect on your relationship. Even if it's only two or three hours a week this can prove very beneficial. If you really want to improve things, you'll both have to swallow your pride and commit to working on your relationship.

* During this time, think about the occasions when conflicts have arisen between you. What was the root cause, or causes, of these conflicts? Arguments are generally symptoms of a deeper, underlying issue, which you will need to identify in order to move forwards.

* Attempting to resolve the underlying problem(s) in your relationship is your next step in the process. If this cannot be done there is little hope of preventing a divorce. It's absolutely vital that you work together to pinpoint the main issues and then make a solid commitment to work together to overcome them.

* Familiarity, routine, and distractions like work, children and money issues can, over time, make it hard for couples to remember why they got married in the first place. This can lead to disinterest and boredom and a consequent drifting apart. Even though the relationship has deteriorated, think about the times when you were both happy, and the qualities that attracted you to each other to begin with. What things did you used to do together that made you both happy? Revisiting these happy memories and experiences together is a great starting point for working through your problems.

* Making a new start is the next step. If this sounds daunting, remind yourselves how much you've achieved up to now. If you've got to the point where you know what's gone wrong in your marriage and are working constructively to resolve your problems, you've got a good chance of preventing a divorce. You now both need to agree to put the past behind you and avoid bringing up old differences. As you are making a fresh start, learn from your mistakes and try to think of yourselves as a new couple with a new approach to your marriage.

Good communication is the key to preventing a divorce. If you can both make time to really talk, honestly and constructively, you may start to realise that your differences, and the emotional distance between you, are not as great as you think. Whilst these steps should be useful in preventing a divorce remember that you can always seek professional help if you feel you need it.