Divorce is a trying time for spouses who need to split because of irreconcilable differences. This could mean that your spouse cheated, was untruthful about financial issues, abused drugs or alcohol, or a myriad of other reasons, including legal separation for one year. Divorce affects children in a variety of ways, including their psychological, general well-being and future expectations.
Possible Psychological Effects of Divorce On Children
Recent psychological studies in the past decade have found that children of divorce often suffer from the major life changes that occur as a result of a divorce. For example, younger children may internalize a divorce. This is the age-old problem of assuming fault for the divorce, but also not expressing their individual feelings about the divorce. This may lead to internal, emotional problems, or external actions that reflect these feelings, such as lashing out or unorthodox crying fits. Children of divorce, especially in the teenage years, may see their grades suffer as a result of the anxiety of adolescence and his or her parents’ divorce coinciding. The Journal of Marriage And Family has also found that divorce has a generational effect. A divorce in the present could lead to family problems later, as children of divorce often experience detachment from both their parents, lower education levels and marital discord, which could eventually lead to their own divorce.
It is recommended that you take the time to fully explain your divorce to your children in a manner that they can best understand the circumstances. You may find it helpful to seek counseling so that your child can express their feelings. Consider an objective party, such as a licensed family psychologist, to help with this matter. Make sure your children are also getting the needed attention necessary for them to excel at school. You may find it helpful to suggest after school tutoring, or ask if they would be interested in joining an extra curricular activity to keep them social and active with their peers.
Child Custody & Child Support For Children After A Divorce
What about the future and financial security for your children? In divorce cases involving children, child support and child custody are two of the most important decisions that a family court judge will resolve.
Child custody refers to who will have physical custody of the child(ren) as well as who is legally authorized to make important decisions in your child(ren)’s life. If both parents are deemed suitable to provide for the child(ren), then joint physical custody is a common result. This means that one parent will be the primary parent with which the child(ren) will reside, while the other is allowed to have custody at certain times (e.g. every other weekend). Meanwhile, legal custody refers to a parent’s right to make important decisions in the child(ren)’s life, such as religious institution, where the child(ren) will go to school, who his/her doctor will be, etc. In this case, again, one or both parents may be deemed suitable for legal custody.
Child support is money awarded from one divorcing spouse to the other to ensure that their child(ren)’s needed are met and accommodated for. This money is to be spent on groceries, clothes and other essential needs, and the amount will be determined in the family courtroom by the presiding judge.
Hire A Charleston Divorce Lawyer
If you are about to undergo a divorce and are worried about the future of your children, consider the divorce lawyers at The Ayers Family Law Firm. We always put the best interests of the children first in all of our divorce cases, and will fight for your children’s future in the courtroom. Get in touch with The Ayers Family Law Firm in Charleston, SC today to learn more about what to expect for you and your children during and after a divorce.
