Why Is It Important to Have A Child-Centered Divorce?
When people divorce, their children may hear their parents arguing and feel like it is somehow their fault. They wonder what will happen to them. At our law office, we help parents step back from their own emotional issues and work to have a child-centered divorce.
Child-Centered Divorce Using the Collaborative Process
A collaborative divorce is a way that a couple can part ways without leaving their children emotionally damaged. It is important to have a child-centered divorce which keeps the children at the center of the process. When children understand the parents’ decision to separate has nothing to do with them, and sense that the parents are working together to make positive decisions for them and the entire family, their fear about what might happen next is diminished.
Different members of the collaborative divorce team are available and often, a child specialist can join the team to deal with issues, such as when a child is acting out and that child may need some extra comfort. A collaborative divorce facilitator keeps the parents focused on what is in the best interest of the children and how they can create a parenting plan that works for the children’s school attendance, extra-curricular events, and having time to spend with their friends. As a result, the children might still be sad about their life changing, but they can also find something to look forward to. And if they have input into the parenting plan, they won’t have to wonder what will happen next because they are part of the process.
Goals of a Child-Centered Divorce
During the collaborative divorce process, the divorcing parents stay focused on the impact their decisions will have on their children. Some important goals are:
- Budgeting for two households so the children feel treated equally no matter which parent they are staying with.
- Accommodating the children’s extra-curricular activities so they are in the correct home for the after-school activity. It can be disconcerting to children to be headed to after school soccer practice only to discover they left their helmet at the other home.
- Determining where events will be so the parenting schedule will accommodate where the children will need to be.
In a child-centered divorce, the parents make every decision keeping in mind how that particular decision will impact the children.
For More Information About Divorce, Contact an Experienced Dallas Family Law Attorney
To schedule a free initial consultation with a Dallas Family Law Attorney, contact Paula Lock Smyth Law Offices at 214-420-1800.
Paula Lock Smyth has practiced law in Texas since 1985, focusing on Family Law, Probate, Mediation, and Collaborative Divorce. She is a trained mediator, seasoned litigator, and one of the early adopters of Collaborative Divorce in Texas. Paula is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the College of the State Bar and the Texas Bar Foundation and has served as Past President of Dallas Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. She was a Master in the Annette Stewart Inn of Court and is a Charter Member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas. Her legal knowledge and decades of experience make her a trusted voice on matters that impact families across Dallas and surrounding counties.
