Ending a Marriage: Child Custody
It’s always sad when a marriage ends, and two people that were once happy together are no longer able to continue as partners in life. What may be the saddest part is the inevitable affect divorce will have on the children.
Couples who can remain civil during the divorce process are obviously going to be better able to help their children through this difficult time. They may also be able to help make the transition smoother, not only for the kids, but also for themselves.
If you and your soon to be ex and can sit down and discuss things, try to lay out a workable custody solution before working on a settlement with lawyers or in court. Set visitation so it works with both of your work schedules and children’s activities. The two of you know still know each other better than any outsider does, and you are both much better judges of what is good for your children. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up with a standard custody order, which may cause complete upheaval in your lives.
If you can work something out that benefits all involved as much as possible, it may be just a formality to have the agreement approved by a judge. Just make sure that either way, whether the agreement is laid out amongst yourselves or with the aid of divorce attorneys that it is something you can live with indefinitely. It may still be prudent to have an attorney look over documents before signing.
It is also a good idea to agree to be as flexible as possible. You may need to switch visitation sometime and your ex is going to be much more willing to accommodate changes if you are willing to do the same.
It isn’t easy, but try to put hard feelings aside and make this difficult time less painful for you and your kids. Keep in mind that even though you are no longer man and wife you are still Mom and Dad.