Working together to make divorce easier on children
Illinois residents who are in the process of divorce may be curious about some of the upcoming challenges to their lifestyles. One of the biggest changes that occurs is when shifting from parenting to co-parenting, which can require some adjustment. One way to help ease the transition is for both spouses to work together in a collaborative divorce.
A problem that can often arise in a divorce is that communication starts to break down as spouses may become defensive and protective, or start expressing anger and frustration that was previously suppressed. When this situation arises, it is important for parents to take a step back to evaluate the situation. Sometimes it may be necessary to let things go in order to work together towards making the best decision for children. It may be necessary to put anger or differences aside in order to come up with the right solution.
A collaborative divorce is unlike the traditional divorce, where people think of the mother getting custody of the children and the father writing a check every month. A collaborative divorce allows the mother and father to work together in order to make decisions that will benefit their children. The intent is to come up with a plan that is fair to everyone involved by opening a dialogue between the parents early on in the divorce process.
When divorces get messy or complicated, a family law attorney may be brought in to help make the process smoother. Having an impartial third party to help negotiate issues that tend to be emotional, such as child custody, can help to reduce frustration for both parents and children in the long-term.
Source: Huffington Post, "Moving From Parenting to Co-parenting: Joining Together in Divorce", John McElhenney, November 20, 2013
