Before going forward, we want to clarify that it is not a divorce lawyer’s role to hand out parenting tips. However, the things you learn from your partnership with a family law attorney can help you improve your parenting skills. All it takes is your willingness to use what lawyers have learned throughout their careers on behalf of your own children.
The following sections contain three of the most important, family-centered lessons we have learned about divorcing with children.
Lesson one:
As you might expect, our attorneys have seen far too many family law issues devolve into complete chaos, which goes on to affect a couple’s children. While you might not be able to influence your co-parent’s behavior, you can still provide security and stability for your kids by keeping control over your own behavior and attitude.
Lesson two:
Many parents going through divorce try to overprotect their children by hiding important issues. In most cases, we believe this is a mistake. While you certainly do not want to inform your kids about inappropriate matters, keeping them informed about your divorce and answering their questions typically fosters trust between you and your children.
Lesson three
When people are getting divorced, they may hear cautionary tales from family law attorneys about the dangers of putting kids in the middle of the conflict. Unfortunately, many parents begin using their kids as messengers or even bargaining chips without realizing what they are doing. Our final “lesson” for this post is to suggest that you regularly evaluate your words and your actions to avoid falling into this dangerous trap.
Please feel free to browse our blog and our family law website for additional information about divorcing as a parent.