Your children are out of school right now, so your goal is to finalize your divorce by the end of their summer break. Doing it now gives you the opportunity to separate your property and get a custody schedule put together when both you and your spouse have more time to adjust. This is also a good time to give your children a break (and time to adjust) before returning to school.
You and your spouse agreed that separating in the summer would be a good idea, since you may have to move to a new school district. Your hope is that finalizing your divorce during the time of the year when your children have less to do will make it easier when changes have to happen.
If you are going to separate in the summer, there are a few things you can do to make it easier for your children. While you have good intentions, remember that divorcing is going to affect them regardless of when you do it. Major changes, like going to a new school or moving to a new home, will always affect your children.
Your goal is going to be to make this as comfortable for your children as you can. How can you do that?
One idea is to separate at the beginning of summer, right at the end of a school year. If you can move into a new home at that time (or restructure your living environment however that has to happen), you’ll be giving your child the entire summer to adjust to new living arrangements.
Next, talk to them about the custody schedule for the summer and how it may change in the fall. When you discuss the fall, tell your child if a move to a new school is a possibility. If they don’t want to change schools or they have a different school they might like to attend, it’s worth considering alternative options. If you need to have them move to a new district, make sure it’s one you and your estranged spouse agree on.
Finally, once everything is ready, try to make the rest of the summer fun. Don’t dwell on the changes that are coming, but be open to conversation if and when it’s needed.
