If you have children and you are thinking of getting a divorce, one of the first thoughts that may come to mind are, “how will this affect my kids? If their parents aren’t happy together, how can the kids be happy?” Every family is unique, so there’s no set answer. Our experienced divorce attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks know there are some important factors to consider if you have children, before deciding if you want a divorce.
Factors to Consider Before You Divorce with Children
Effects on Family Structure
For enlightening information on how a divorce can affect your overall family structure, check out this article we found.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240051/
Each child and each family are obviously unique, with different strengths and weaknesses, different personalities and temperaments, and varying degrees of social, emotional, and economic resources, as well as differing family situations prior to divorce. Despite these differences, divorce has been shown to diminish a child’s future competence in all areas of life, including family relationships, education, emotional well-being, and future earning power.
1. Parents must adjust to their own losses as well as to their new role as a divorced parent. Thus, parents may not have as much emotional strength and time to invest in parenting, i.e., the parents experience a “moratorium on parenting.”
2. Although laws are gradually changing, most children spend more time with one custodial parent and obviously have less time with each parent overall.
3. For most children, this means much less time spent with their fathers.
4. The child may also spend less time with their mother as she may need to work longer hours to support the family
Your Children’s Education and Living Location
When you divorce your spouse, it’s possible that one of you may move to another town. Who will your child be living with most of the time? If this is a new area for your child, what are the schools like in that community and are they good for your child? You probably want your child to have the best education they can possibly have, so this is an important factor to consider before divorcing your spouse.
Other questions to ask…Is this new community a safe neighborhood? What is the crime rate? Will your child be in a place where they can make new friends with the neighbors? Divorce is hard enough, but living in a new place can uproot your child’s life. Your new community can have a big effect on your child’s future so it’s important to make sure your thinking in the best interest of the child.
The Emotional Toll on Your Children
Approximately 50% of all children in North America will witness their parents getting divorced. Some children may view their parents as their example for how relationships work. Witnessing a divorce at a young age, could possibly have a negative impact on how they view marriage when they are older. If you and your spouse do get divorced, will you be able to set a healthy example on how 2 parents should communicate with one another?
Divorce can be frightening and many people fear the unknown. You don’t know how your divorce will affect you children. The anxiety over an uncertain future and the frustration over unfamiliar legal issues can sometimes be too much to bear. At times like these, having a strong advocate who is committed to ensuring that your interests are protected can be an invaluable asset.
At the law firm of Deputy & Mizell, L.L.C., our Lake of the Ozarks divorce lawyers provide aggressive, dedicated representation to men and women throughout the Lake of the Ozarks region in all aspects of family law. Whether you have an uncontested or highly contested divorce, we are committed to doing whatever it takes to secure a favorable outcome on your behalf. If you are considering getting a divorce, reach out to us for a free consultation.
Contact Deputy & Mizell, LLC to schedule your private (FREE) consultation today.
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