Divorce on its own is heavily emotional. What’s worse is, the emotional damage is just the beginning – especially in Orange County. Property division, custody battles, and continuous disagreements are worryingly common with traditional litigation. However, much of this emotional and financial damage can be quelled by reaching a peaceful divorce through healthy communication with your partner and children.
Keep Your Children In The Loop
When divorcing with kids, it’s important to talk to them about what’s going on so that their confusion doesn’t go unanswered. Some parents choose to keep their children completely out of it without explanation, hoping that they’ll be oblivious to the separation – but children see all. It’s not the divorce that stresses children out, but the interactions they witness: arguments over money, bad mouthing each other, and overall hostility between their parents. Instead of keeping the separation under wraps, strive for a more peaceful settlement by keeping the whole family in the loop. Start by using an age-appropriate explanation to comfortably explain the divorce to any children involved. The key is to ease their fears without mentioning too much and breeding worry in their young minds.
Parents also find confusion in how differing parenting styles will influence their children. For the most part, as long as you and your ex-spouse maintain consistent parenting styles in your separate homes, your children will likely adapt to both. If you have your own preferences for your children, such as TV viewing limits and whether they bathe at night or in the morning, sticking to those routines is actually encouraged to maintain consistent routines.
A Collaborative Divorce Is a Peaceful Divorce
As mentioned in a previous blog, a collaborative divorce is a more interactive style of separation that focuses on co-parenting with your ex-partner to reach mutually beneficial agreements related to your children, rather than starting a court battle. Oftentimes, a skilled mediator is present to ensure that communication is positive and progress is made towards a more peaceful divorce. A mediator also helps to dampen any hostility, since it’s always difficult to separate the emotions provoked by divorce. Some of the benefits that mediation has over traditional divorce litigation include reduced costs, privacy (due to no court hearings), more control over family decisions and parenting plans, and better communication post-divorce. Rather than going through the painful steps of traditional litigation, consider opting for a more peaceful divorce with the help of a Mission Viejo divorce attorney.
Achieve a Peaceful Divorce with a Mission Viejo Divorce Attorney
Divorce is an emotional journey to endure. On top of the bitterness and anger which often result from a formal separation, the subsequent legal battles tend to make the whole process even more painful. At the Law Offices of Jennifer Owens, we revel in the power of choice. When spouses face divorce, they’re presented with a slew of decisions with a handful of potential outcomes. Our attorneys are believers in the best possible outcome, where a former couple chooses peace over destruction, so that they can finally move onto their next chapter. We can help with that. No matter your desired path – mediation, a negotiated settlement, or even litigation – The Law Offices of Jennifer Owens will achieve the best possible outcome by reaching a settlement that keeps all involved parties in mind. Visit our website to review our family law services or contact us online for a free consultation.