Broward County Family Law Blog

It's a harsh fact that many couples face divorce in modern families. However, its prevalence doesn't mean that it is easy or a pleasant thing to go through. As the parent of a person going through a divorce, it is likely to bring great stress on you.

You may feel helpless in being able to support your children in navigating the hardships of their lives, and you are also likely to be concerned about your grandchildren, as well as what your future relationship with them might be.

Even if you think your divorce is going to be easy, it is still going to be stressful. You are going to have to face some hard choices, such as whether to keep your home in Pembroke Pines or sell it and split the proceeds with your future ex-husband. In addition, you will have to work out visitation/time-sharing schedule for your children and even which one of you will keep the family dog.

While your financial advisors and attorney can help you make some of the big decisions, they will not be much help in dealing with the stress or emotional side of divorce. That is where your therapists, best friend and the following stress management tips come in.

Everyone has a reason for seeking divorce, but some people experience more serious issues than others in their marriage. If one spouse has become physically or sexually abusive or developed addiction issues during the marriage, it can put everyone in the family at risk. These kinds of situations can lead to dramatic divorces and serious concerns.

If you hope to divorce a spouse who is abusive or an addict, you likely also worry about how he or she would treat your kids during parenting time or visitation. In fact, the likely outcome of the custody case could determine whether or not you decide to divorce your spouse. While it's impossible to predict with certainty the outcome of a custody case, you can look at the factors courts use to determine child custody and parental responsibilities to predict the likely outcome.

Even though Florida courts typically support shared custody -- otherwise known as "shared parental responsibility" -- managing these types of situations can produce an enormous amount of stress, not just on you, but your children as well.

For example, if you are parenting in a successful and healthy manner, but your future ex-husband is not, then your children could suffer the negative effects. Furthermore, your children could be at risk for developmental problems along the way. The same holds true if there are vast differences in disciplinary techniques, for instance, if you are more lenient and your ex is strict.

In order to co-parent successfully, the two of you must operate on the same page. You each have to practice patience, communication and flexibility. This can be extremely difficult for parents that are separated or divorced. One of the key ways to keep your co-parenting on track is to keep your children as the focus. For some tips to help make co-parenting successful, read below.