Jacksonville Divorce Attorney Blog
Divorces themselves are obviously messy situations, but a divorce can become infinitely more difficult when a minor child is involved. You want to see your kids all of the time, but so does your former spouse. Hopefully you and the other parent of your child can work out an arrangement agreeable to the both of you. Unfortunately, it is not always so easy. If you cannot work out an arrangement, the court will likely step in. A Jacksonville Beach Divorce Attorney in Jacksonville Beach can help, but here are some other steps you should take that can help obtain a more favorable ruling.
Be Civil. In front of your children, with your friends, and just in general, do not talk poorly about your spouse. Remember that your friends are often your spouse’s friends, too, or they have other mutual friends, and so on. Word gets around; offensive statements often get back to the other spouse. The court may view this as a petty attempt to isolate the other parent. This doesn’t look good for your character. More importantly, don’t talk bad directly to your former spouse, especially if the children are around. The other spouse may claim you are abusive, even if you aren’t — courts take these claims very seriously.
Communicate. Don’t take your kids for a 6-day trip to Disney without first at least informing the other parent. Similarly, allow your kids to communicate with their other parent while they’re with you. It’s tougher to prevent communication these days with the popularity of cell phones and the like, so this may not be an issue. But remember: your kids are going through a tough transition right now, too. If you’re frustrated by their behavior, talk with them. Further, to help with their transition, don’t move in with a new significant other if you have one. Doing this sends difficult messages to the kids, and may prejudice the court against you in any custody proceedings.
Of course, each divorce is different and each divorce therefore requires different advice. A qualified Jacksonville Beach Divorce Attorney can meet with you to discuss the specifics of your case. If you are going through a divorce or custody proceedings, contact a Jacksonville Beach Divorce Attorney today.