On behalf of The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A.
As a parent, divorce is a scary prospect for all manner of reasons. Aside from the emotional upheaval involved in separating from the person you thought you’d love and cherish for the rest of your lives, you’re bound to worry about your children’s wellbeing, how they will adjust to mom and dad living in different homes, and, if you plan to move to a different area once your divorce is finalized, how they will settle in their new home and make new friends. It’s a lot for anyone to deal with and, while you can’t completely remove the turmoil of divorcing parents, you can make sure that the experience is as pain-free as possible for your children.
Divorce, Child Custody, and A New Home
While your relocation may be enabling you to leave the scene of an acrimonious break-up and, perhaps, a former spouse who wasn’t very pleasant to you in the final months or years of your marriage, it’s important to remember that your children are, possibly, moving away from a parent. Add to that saying goodbye to their school, friends, and pretty much everything they’ve known in life, and you’ve got a massive change to deal with. Even moving a few miles can seem like a huge upheaval in the life of a young child. Much as parents may like to wave a magic wand and make it ok, that hasn’t been invented just yet. Until it has, there are some things you can do to make the move a little less stressful for the little ones.
- Answer any questions your child may have, no matter how many hundreds of them they appear to come up with. Be honest, but also be mindful of their emotions
- Prepare a detailed plan of the move, perhaps including photos of the new house, their new school, and a guide to the route you plan to take. The unknown can be a very daunting prospect to children, so make it all seem as familiar as possible. If you can plan something fun for shortly after your arrival, make sure to talk about that too – focus on the positives
- Accept that your children may not be happy about the move. While you may have made your child custody arrangements with their best interests at heart, it’s natural for your child to feel upset, confused, or even angry about what they may perceive as a forced change. Let them know that you understand, and set aside some time to listen and reassure them
Need a Fort Lauderdale Child Custody Attorney?
An uncontested divorce can be a great option, provided you and your estranged spouse can agree on matters such as alimony, child custody, child support, and division of any shared property. If you’re unable to come to an amicable decision, or if a once-friendly arrangement starts to become a little more hostile, you need a reliable, experienced Fort Lauderdale child custody lawyer.
To schedule a consultation and discuss your divorce with a Fort Lauderdale child custody attorney with decades of experience, call us today on 954-533-2756.
