New Jersey parents who are ending their marriages should be aware of the various ways in which prolonging the breakup can affect their children. While most children experience emotional upheaval during divorce proceedings, there are some things parents can do to minimize the disturbance. The most important thing to remember is that children deserve clear and concise answers about the state of their parents’ marriage so they can process the information and move on.
Understandably, many parents face a good deal of emotional conflict after deciding to end their relationship. Even parents who are sure that they no longer want to be married or live together can experience doubts once the process begins. Some parents face objections from their religious communities, while others may feel pressure from friends and family to stay together. Adult children of divorced parents often feel conflicted about going through divorce themselves. Each of these scenarios can lead a parent to question whether they are doing the right thing.
While some pauses result in parents deciding to work things out through mediation or even to stay together, in other cases waiting is simply prolonging the inevitable. Many children report feeling relief once a divorce is finalized because they are able to stop guessing as to whether their parents will get back together again. In any case, it is essential to make the decision as clear and as soon as possible to the children.
One aspect that will have to be considered is the way that child custody will be handled. Family law attorneys can often assist their clients in developing parenting plans that address custody and visitation arrangements that are in the child’s best interests.
