The divorce process can unfortunately be stressful for both parents and their young children in Virginia. Likewise, co-parenting in the aftermath of the divorce can be challenging. However, divorcing parents can take a couple of steps to make these life-altering experiences easier for the children to deal with going forward.
For one, it is essential for parents who are getting a divorce to frequently speak with their children about how they feel. For instance, they can ask the children how they are doing as well as what they need. The more they can express their feelings during the divorce journey, the less alone they will feel in the process.
Second, it is wise for the parents to try to keep the children’s post-divorce lives as similar to their pre-divorce lives as possible. For instance, it is best to keep the children in the same school, rather than forcing them to move to a new home and school district. This will help to prevent them from feeling as though their entire worlds are falling apart as a result of the divorce.
When dealing with issues such as child custody and co-parenting during divorce, parents may want to try completing informal negotiations rather than simply proceeding to divorce trial. The reason for this is that addressing these matters outside of court tends to be less overwhelming than going through traditional divorce litigation. Of course, sometimes these issues cannot be resolved through negotiation, in which case going to court is inevitable. Either way, an attorney in Virginia can take the necessary steps to make sure that a divorcing parent’s rights and the children’s best interests are protected during each stage of the divorce proceeding.
