Below are some tips to help your children through divorce.
Custody battles are draining on everyone involved, and resolutions are often not reached quickly or easily. When a custody schedule is finally reached, the custody exchanges are also usually a point of stress. When balancing raising kids while going through a divorce, you must ensure your children are safe, comfortable, and aware of the changes going on. Below are some tips to help ease that tension and help your children through divorce.
Don’t Be Late
One of the easiest ways to keep the peace is to arrive on time for the custody exchange. It’s a simple sign of respect for everyone’s time and will impact your ability to co-parent peacefully. If you show up late, it may be used against you in future custody hearings. Additionally, if you are on time, it’s more likely that your ex-spouse will be on time, allowing each parent to get their share of parenting time without conflict.
Make sure that you plan ahead before leaving; check the traffic, have your child’s belongings packed and ready to go, and plan to communicate if any unexpected circumstances make you late.
Meet In A Public Location
Police stations, restaurant parking lots, schools, and daycares are often great locations for custody exchanges. Many of these locations have security cameras that may bolster your account if anything goes wrong. Additionally, there are often other people around who can act as witnesses.
Schools and daycares can serve an additional purpose by eliminating interaction with your ex entirely. If you can have your ex pick up your child from school if you’ve dropped them off in the morning, you can ensure you don’t have to see them while also ensuring your child is safe.
Discuss Changes In Advance
While you should always respect the custody schedule put in place and be on time for exchanges, it’s important to remember that life happens. Especially when dealing with children, changes to a custody exchange can often occur. Communicate any changes with your ex as early as possible, and ensure you allow enough time for them to make any changes to their schedule as well. The more you are willing to be flexible and respectful, the more likely they will reciprocate.
Don’t Discuss Adult Issues With Your Child
Let your child be a child. It’s not fair for your child to hear your opinions about your ex or your opinions on the divorce process. Despite how you may feel, your ex is still their parent, and they still love them. Your child should not act as a messenger for you to your ex, either. If something needs to be communicated, find a way to do it when your child is not present or cannot hear it.
The Right Lawyer Can Make All the Difference
Hiring a lawyer should be the first thing you do when encountering any legal matter, not a last resort. Whether you’re thinking about a separation or divorce or have been charged with a crime, been injured in an accident, or your civil rights have been violated, you need to first know your rights. Contact Mike Mastracci today at 614 Edmondson Ave Catonsville, MD 21228 (with satellite offices in Ocean City, Snow Hill, and Salisbury, Maryland), 410-869-3400, and check us out on Facebook.