A divorce lawyer sees all sorts of situations when one spouse or both want to end a marriage. Those situations range from amicable and friendly to contentious and volatile. Attorneys increasingly encourage clients to work out divorce-related disagreements in mediation sessions instead of going to court. That can be especially important in disagreements involving children. Children sometimes become pawns in a strategic and nasty game played out by their parents, which can leave a negative emotional impact on them for the rest of their lives.
Children may not realize what’s going on when they are very young, but the tactics their parents used and continue to employ will become clear as they get older. Custody and visitation battles, and attempts to undermine existing agreements, lead to resentment for everyone involved. Divorce attorneys can help the parents create a schedule that benefits everyone concerned. The parents can even manage occasional changes to a shared custody schedule without having direct contact. Online scheduling has made life easier for ex-spouses who cannot get along at all. Family courts encourage these parents to be reasonable and to be magnanimous enough to allow the occasional change.
Setting up specific parameters in an agreement filed with the court can be very helpful for avoiding conflicts. For instance, the parents might agree not to have romantic partners stay overnight when the kids are there. They might agree not to leave the children with a babysitter when staying at the other parent’s home is an option. They may also decide that having both parents attend events like school concerts and plays is best for the kids. Important milestones like school graduations and religious confirmations also should include both parents if this is possible.
A divorce lawyer would like to see clients look toward the future instead of trying to get even or get revenge about the past. Even though the end of a marriage can be very painful and embarrassing, each person now has the chance for a new start. The next phase of life may be much more satisfying and happier than the time spent in the marriage was. The Law Offices of Elan Wurtzel can help initiate this process and guide the client through it.
