Divorces involving children can be legally complex and emotionally challenging for both the parents and the child. An experienced divorce lawyer can help you navigate these challenges while keeping your child's best interests in mind.
- Child custody isn't easy to establish on your own
While many people handle their divorce on their own, that's not a good idea when you have kids. Part of what a divorce lawyer can help with is getting a court-ordered custody plan established that works for you, your ex-partner, and your child.
If you try to work things out with your ex outside the courtroom, many things can go wrong. For example, they might not hold up their end of the deal, may bail on you or your child, might make you carry most of the weight, or you might not be able to come to an agreement at all. Without a court order, it will be difficult or even impossible to hold your ex accountable to your agreement.
On the other hand, when you hire a divorce lawyer, they'll help you establish joint custody or full custody with visitation based on what's best for your child. You don't want to face this situation in court without an attorney because you probably won't get a favorable outcome. If you're the father, it may be even harder, since courts tend to have a bias against fathers in custody cases.
- A lawyer will reduce the emotional impact passed to your kids
When you're going through a divorce, your kids will feel your stress. Unfortunately, divorce can be extremely traumatic for kids, even when they act like they're okay. The less stress you experience, the better.
Another problem is that during a divorce, you may end up feeling all kinds of intense emotions, including depression, despair, anger, anxiety, and regret. If you express these emotions around your children, they won't necessarily understand they're not the cause. Many kids take divorce personally, and assume the pain their parents feel is either caused by them or directed at them. Worse, sometimes parents going through a divorce do misdirect their anger at their kids, and the consequences are damaging.
The more stressed you are, the more likely you are to project your intense emotions onto your kids, and potentially release misguided anger. Having a divorce lawyer won't take away all of your stress or prevent emotional pain, but it will greatly reduce your need to constantly manage the confusing and overwhelming legal aspect of your divorce. This, in turn, will give you more breathing room and space to process the situation without feeling too overloaded.
- Asset division is different with kids
Normally, when you divide assets during a divorce, the court only considers factors related to you and your ex. However, when there are children involved, asset division needs to be done differently. A divorce lawyer will help you protect your child's future by ensuring all your marital assets are divided fairly, including physical property, retirement accounts, and other investments.
- Fair child support requires a lawyer's help
Although fathers usually end up being the ones to pay child support, sometimes it's the mothers. Who pays child support will depend on a variety of factors, like who earns more money and has more disposable income after bills, and how you share custody. There's no way to know ahead of time what the court will decide, but a divorce attorney can give you a pretty good idea.
Judges are busy and don't usually have time to familiarize themselves with cases beyond the surface. If you're most likely to be asked to pay child support, and there are nuances to your financial situation, you need a lawyer. Without legal representation, you stand a good chance of being required to pay more than you can comfortably handle. On the other side, if you're more likely to be the recipient of child support, you might know your ex is capable of paying more than they claim, and you'll need an attorney to help you prove your case.
Divorce is emotionally taxing – get legal help
Nobody expects to go through a divorce, and the experience can be devastating. Don't try to get through the legal aspect alone. By hiring a divorce lawyer, you have a better chance at getting an outcome that works in favor of both you and your child.
