Navigating a child's education as co-parents involves clear and effective communication with their school to better ensure the child's best interests are always front and center. This can be complex and requires a coordinated effort to manage a child's academic and social development successfully. Parents must have a plan in place to ensure they don’t miss any notifications or communication from the school. Considering the following may help co-parents to develop or modify a plan in ways that work for their circumstances. Establishing a unified front The first step for co-parents is to present ..read more

Divorce is often necessary for someone's mental health, but they may have to make certain financial sacrifices to end their marriage. The idea of suffering a major financial setback may deter people from filing for divorce. Those who understand how the end of a marriage could affect their financial health can more accurately evaluate their circumstances to determine whether a divorce is the right option in their case. How might the decision to file for divorce affect someone's finances? The loss of assets in property division The most immediate concern for many people contemplating divorce in ..read more

The role a parent plays in the life of a child can have a major impact on their long-term well-being and overall happiness. Children will typically be happiest when they have loving and supportive relationships with both of their parents. The state will usually seek to uphold a child's best interests when there are issues related to the care and custody of a minor child. When parents no longer live together or share a romantic relationship, the state will grant parental responsibilities to both adults, provided that they assert their rights in family court. Divorcing parents will have to come ..read more

Divorce often inspires financial challenges. The requirement to divide marital property means that people will lose some of their personal wealth. Additionally, the divorce itself can often be an expensive process. High-asset individuals have more resources to fight over and may, therefore, discover that the divorce process is more expensive for them. While some of the costs associated with divorce are inevitable, others are variable depending on how people approach the process. Ultimately, there are a few ways in which high-asset individuals may set themselves up to pay more for divorce than ..read more

The role a parent plays in the life of a child can have a major impact on their long-term well-being and overall happiness. Children will typically be happiest when they have loving and supportive relationships with both of their parents. The state will usually seek to uphold a child's best interests when there are issues related to the care and custody of a minor child. When parents no longer live together or share a romantic relationship, the state will grant parental responsibilities to both adults, provided that they assert their rights in family court. Divorcing parents will have to come ..read more

Halloween is a holiday that most kids look forward to every year – and so do most parents. Just the same, it’s seldom addressed in most parenting plans because it isn’t considered a major holiday.  That can leave divorced parents in a little bit of a bind when they realize that they don’t have a clear agreement on how the event is supposed to be handled. Here are three possibilities: 1. You share the holiday and all associated events If you and your co-parent have gotten to a place where you can put aside your past differences and operate like a true parenting team, you’ll probably deligh ..read more

Although many people have navigated the divorce process more than once, some have never done so as a parent and do not quite know what to expect. Even seasoned individuals can falter when making divorce decisions that impact their children for the first time. Unfortunately, difficulty making decisions can unduly complicate your divorce and possibly increase hardships for your kids. Each situation is unique, but there are several things most parents divorcing for the first time should anticipate. Your heart might break several times Often, this is a risk when divorce has a powerful impact on ch ..read more

As a divorcing parent, you’ve been sharing parenting duties with your soon-to-be ex for some time. Yet divorce marks a fundamental shift in your relationship and you may need to learn new ways of handling things. One of those is learning to let things slide. Here is why it’s important: You and your ex have more independence than during your marriage You probably both expressed your opinions during the marriage about each other’s parenting styles. One (or both) of you then likely made some sort of compromise to satisfy the other to maintain the peace. Now that you will be living apart and each ..read more

If you are the kind of person who is really frustrated that major chain retailers are hauling out Halloween products in August, the idea of thinking about the winter holiday season right now could feel downright maddening. However, if you are a parent of a minor child who shares your child’s holiday times with a co-parent, the time to start planning is now. By planning well in advance of your child’s winter holidays – which is likely their second-longest holiday period away from school next to summer vacation – you can avoid the kind of tension that tends to be associated with last-minute deci ..read more

Navigating child custody arrangements can be challenging, especially when preparing for the start of a new school year. From coordinating schedules to ensuring open communication between all parties involved, these transitions require thoughtful planning and a cooperative mindset.  Open and respectful communication between parents is vital during this transitional period. Regularly discuss your child's academic progress, share any pertinent information from the school and jointly address any concerns or challenges that may arise. The goal is to ensure your child's well-being and success i ..read more