Regardless of whether a divorce ends up in court or a collaborative negotiation, it is still stressful. After divorce, spouses have to adjust to a new life.
However, it is critical to remember that children experience this stress as well and that divorce is no easier for them. Here are some tips on how to help kids through the divorce process.
When a couple's divorce is finalized, as are their property division and child support agreements, they may think it is the end of the family law issues that must be resolved. For many it might be. But those Durham parents who get married again have a number of issues they should think of before tying the knot. A blended family, a family that includes married or cohabiting stepparents, has to think about their child custody agreement and how that step will affect their children.
It is important to tread lightly with stepchildren and half-siblings-no child should feel he or she is being treated differently from the other. This could be in terms of attention or in terms of finances. Children need to feel safe in their environment and need a nurturing environment from all adults involved to achieve their potential.
Dads are a significant figure in a child’s life; they become role models to their children and guide them through their early childhood. Without a father’s guidance, your child would likely be a completely different person.
But some dads find the role of “father” especially difficult after a divorce. You spend less time with them and adopt new responsibilities as a single parent. But dads do not have to suffer because of their divorce.
Most adults try to balance their career and personal life. They don't want to fall back in their company, but they also want to maintain healthy relationships with the people they love the most, including their spouse. Unfortunately, some jobs make that balance a challenge.
As is clear from prior select blog posts of our established firm, Ellis Family Law (with dual North Carolina offices in Durham and Pittsboro) has a prominent collaborative-divorce focus among its designated practice areas. Our April 22 blog entry recently underscores that.
As important as collaborative divorce and other so-called “alternative dispute resolution” processes can be for some divorcing parties, they comprise but a sliver – though a significant one – of a large family law universe. That realm encompasses impressively wide-ranging subject matter, which also commands the close scrutiny of Ellis Family Law’s deep legal team.
It is often taken for granted that a divorcing couple cannot stand one another – that fighting is predictable and inevitable. But while many divorces take this tone (for obvious reasons), some are far more peaceful. Former couples want to remain friends and co-parents, but they just don’t want to be married to each other anymore.
For marriages ending peacefully and on relatively good terms, collaborative divorce is an ideal scenario. Unlike litigated divorce, which is adversarial by nature, collaborative divorce typically allows couples to remain on good terms throughout the process so that they can transition to a new kind of relationship with one another post-divorce.
Emotions have the potential to derail any settlement discussions, particularly in the context of divorce. This is one reason our law firm favors a collaborative approach to divorce. By working out issues in advance, a divorcing couple can present these proposals to the court for approval and minimize their time and expense.
Divorce is not generally considered to be a pleasant experience. But compared to the stress, conflict and expense of litigation, collaborative divorce presents a potentially more manageable option for getting through the process.
What is collaborative divorce?
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