Divorce is a reality for a number of couples throughout the US. There are a myriad of reasons for divorce including financial stress tearing a couple apart. Infidelity and growing apart are also common reasons. The ugly truth is plenty of people act during the dating phase and oftentimes keep up the act for the first few years of a marriage. Divorce becomes so much more complicated when children are involved. Simply moving out and waiting for the divorce papers to come is not an option for many couples. The following are tips to dealing with a divorce sensitively when kids are involved.
Talk About How You Will Break the News
You need to be coparents in the near future so now is the time to start. If you have exhausted all avenues of therapy then divorce is the only option. Children should not grow up in a home where their parents resent each other or bicker constantly. Sitting them down to talk it out is important and there are going to be questions that might be tough to answer. The kids are never the reason for a divorce but they feel like they are to blame in many situations.
Do Not Fight in Front of the Children
The truth is that it is going to be tough not to fight in front of the children. Going into a room to talk is important as there are things that need to be hashed out. It can be easy to lose your temper during this stressful time but remember that no great marriage has ever ended in divorce. Even if you have to send each other text messages to avoid a verbal argument this is better than nothing. If one parent decides to move out this is less likely but pickups and drop-offs with kids can be explosive in a contentious divorce.
Be Realistic About Which Parent the Children Should Live With
Looking into a New Bern family lawyer or one in your local area is essential. These lawyers have worked out all kinds of unique child custody cases and might be able to present a solution that works for everyone. Depending on whether the divorce was unexpected by one person will really matter. Older teens can make the decision on their own which is a tough decision to make due to risking hurting the feelings of one parent.
Do Not Try to Take Your Ex for Everything They are Worth
There is a bad trend where one spouse tries to exercise power over their ex one last time but putting them through the financial ringer. The last thing that you want as a parent is to be the reason your kids see their mother or father struggling to make it. This does not mean that you shouldn’t enlist the help of a top divorce attorney though. You do not want to go in there representing yourself against a legal professional that has handled potentially thousands of divorce settlements.
Divorce is a stressful process but once it is complete you can start your new life. The weight of being unhappy in a marriage is far too much to carry around daily. Take time to look into divorce lawyers in the area to get the process started and discuss your options.