Co-parenting and Divorce: Keeping Children Secure After Dissolution

The divorce process provides ample opportunity for frustration and conflict. One spouse may be shocked by the prospect, the other impatient for change, but if children are involved both parents have a duty to keep conversations civil as issues like property division, child custody and visitation get resolved.

As parents start discussing future living arrangements, they should put aside the reasons why the marriage went wrong and make an honest assessment of the children’s best interests. They must also realize that those best interests don’t stop evolving after the end of the parents’ relationships, but that one constant is the need to continue to have a loving relationship with both parents.

Resolving the Barriers Caused by Complex Financial Issues

All too often in the present economy, parents face additional stresses due to the mortgage on the family home and diminishing real estate values. Assuring children that they will continue to have a secure home is a priority for any parent, and solutions from bankruptcy to short sales can help spouses build a foundation for a secure financial future.

Just as important, spouses must divide the assets and debts accumulated during the marriage. Any asset, from a pension to a cherished heirloom, can present challenges. Obviously, any discussion of financial issues in front of children can greatly undermine their sense of security. But this doesn’t mean that spouses cannot fight for what they deserve, and advice and representation from a divorce lawyer can help them keep disputes out of the home while not conceding to unfair demands.

Many divorced parents encounter unexpected sources of conflict in the aftermath of dissolution. A parent who spends time with children only on weekends can feel extra pressure to indulge them with gifts, or fail to instill discipline. Co-parenting in the wake of a terminated relationship takes hard work from both parents, but again, one parent should not have to shoulder all responsibilities. If too little attention to visitation agreements cannot be remedied,modification of the divorce decree sometimes becomes necessary.

Family Law Attorneys Can Help Clients Set the Stage for Post-Divorce Success

Whether using mediation to resolve property division, spousal support and other issues, or having all aspects of a divorce resolved in family court, an experienced divorce attorney can help a client understand the full implications of the dissolution process. Seldom does a scorched earth policy serve the ultimate goals of the victor.

A wise sense of compromise and good will during divorce can show spouses how to resolve whatever disputes may arise in the future. And nothing better serves children’s best interests in the long run than solid, balanced relationships with both mother and father.