Divorce is a trying experience for adults. With children, divorce can be devastating if it is not handled well by the parents. Couples pursuing the dissolution of their marriage always want to know how to help children through divorce. From my perspective as an attorney, there are some actions that can be taken to ensure the children are well cared for and protected as much as possible.
How to help children through divorce starts at the very beginning. Couples should give thought to the frequently asked question “how do we tell the kids?”
A good attorney will suggest a divorce coach and/or a parenting class which can help the couple navigate their communication style from the start of the divorce, throughout the process and after the divorce.
How to help children through divorce: consider mediation or collaborative divorce
Couples with children would be well-served to consider mediation or collaborative divorce strategies as each of these approaches place the decision-making, the pace and the overall control of the process in the hands of the parents (instead of the court system when a litigated approach is selected). Through mediation and collaborative divorce, the teams supporting the parents place the interests of the children first and foremost.
Once the couple chooses the divorce plan and the children are aware of it, there are best practices parents can take to ensure their children are not needlessly injured by the process.