Ending a marriage is one of the most difficult experiences that you may go through in life. However, if you have children, it is important to be there for them regardless of what happens between yourself and your spouse. In most cases, this means maintaining a civil relationship with that person after the divorce is finalized.
Be sure to establish boundaries
It is important that conversations you have with your former spouse about your child don’t turn into fights about how the marriage went wrong. Furthermore, it is important that your children aren’t put in the middle of any arguments that you have with your ex. This is true regardless of what the dispute is about.
Create a parenting plan outside of court
Creating a parenting plan outside of court can teach you how to communicate with your former partner. It can also ensure that you and the child’s other parent have complete control over how your child is raised. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to be creative when it comes to allocating parenting time. For instance, it may be worthwhile to pursue a nesting strategy that allows the child to remain at home while the parents alternate their time between two different locations.
Be careful about introducing new partners to the kids
You certainly have the right to start dating or otherwise engaging in new relationships after a divorce is finalized. However, it may be in your best interest to avoid introducing a partner to your children until six months or so into the relationship. This ensures that a child won’t form an attachment to an adult who may not be in their lives on a permanent basis.
If you are planning on getting a divorce and you have children, it may be worthwhile to craft a custody arrangement with the help of a family law attorney. An attorney may be able to help you obtain custody rights to a child or a favorable child support order.
