Ben Affleck's wish to avoid 'awkward' encounters with Jennifer Lopez is proving to be difficult: Source

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ben Affleck is said to be longing for a respite from his tumultuous year amid the divorce process with Jennifer Lopez, but he finds it difficult to escape the situation due to their shared responsibility of co-parenting their children.

The former couple recently encountered each other in an "awkward" moment at an evening event at their children’s Los Angeles school.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's 'awkward' run-ins due to their children

The challenge arises from the fact that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's 16-year-old twins, Emme and Max, along with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's 15-year-old son, Fin, all attend the same school in Los Angeles.

School-related activities keep families engaged, meaning Lopez and Affleck are likely to encounter each other more often than they would prefer, especially amid their ongoing divorce proceedings.

Affleck, 52, and Garner, 52, arrived at Fin's school on October 18 for an evening function and walked in as a family, looking like the perfect co-parents. Meanwhile, Lopez and her 16-year-old daughter Emme were also present at the event.

The reunion appeared colder than ice as a source told In Touch Weekly, "Ben knows he’s going to see Jen at these functions. Their kids go to the same school, so how could he not? Still, it’s awkward."

While Affleck appeared somewhat anxious as the paparazzi took their pictures, the 'I'm Real' singer appeared unfazed by the circumstances as she confidently entered the school.

Lopez, 55, may be dealing with the fallout from her divorce, but she is determined not to let it impact the strong bond between Emme and Fin.

A source revealed to People in September, "A divorce is never easy, but Jennifer doesn’t want to be selfish about it. The kids always got along and had fun together. It makes her happy seeing the kids happy together. Happy kids are her priority."

In the two months since Lopez filed for divorce after two years of marriage, the former couple has encountered each other multiple times. Like many divorced couples, Affleck and Lopez often find themselves in awkward situations, whether they want to or not.

In mid-September, they enjoyed brunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel with their children: Affleck's 12-year-old son Samuel and Lopez's twins, Emme and Max. Just three days later, the 'On the Floor' hitmaker and the 'Gone Girl' star attended their children's back-to-school celebration together.

"Ben would rather not see Jen, but the kids come first. He can’t be selfish," the In Touch source said.

They concluded by saying, "Ben and Jen are resigned to keeping things as is. The hope is it’ll get easier as time goes by."

Jennifer Lopez opens up about coming to terms with her heartbreaking split

Jennifer Lopez expressed her desire to move on, discussing her journey to accept the painful breakup with the man of her dreams in a recent conversation with Interview magazine.

She described the split as "like my whole f***ing world exploded," adding that it made her confront her loneliness concerns. "You have to be complete if you want something that’s more complete," she clarified.

The 'Love Don't Cost a Thing' singer shared that she had to earn her wisdom through effort. "You have to be good on your own," she stated, highlighting how a summer of solitude and introspection helped her "prove" to herself that she could find happiness on her own after the end of her fifth marriage.

"Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people. What if I’m just free?" Lopez added.

In addition to their school run-ins, Lopez is actively promoting her movie Unstoppable, which is produced by Affleck and his longtime friend Matt Damon's production company.

Affleck and Lopez may find it easier to move on once their $61 million Beverly Hills property is sold and the financial aspects of their divorce are settled.