Going through a divorce makes people feel a wide range of strong emotions. You probably have a mix of anger, sadness, and regret towards the person you thought would be your lifelong partner but no longer is.
Every divorce is different, and feeling a mix of such emotions is only natural. However, no matter how the marriage ended, every divorcing parent fears that the impending separation will impact their child’s long-term development.
Here are three ways that empathetic family lawyers help the children of divorced parents.
Create Alignment from the Start
How can feuding adults feel confident that the other one will put their bitterness aside and prioritize their child’s welfare? Experts emphasizing an empathetic, collaborative approach, like Tailor Law lawyers for family law begin the proceedings with calming language, turning the temperature down before it can ramp up.
Their goal is to use respectful language that reminds both sides of their ultimate goal — the children’s well-being. After all, the last thing any parent needs is for the divorce to become more expensive, emotionally draining, and time-consuming.
Concessions Where Necessary
Parents experiencing a divorce may wonder how committed the other side is to prioritizing their children. After all, incredible as it is to believe, some wealthy and vindictive people weaponize the divorce process against their ex-spouses, deliberately dragging them on in hopes they become too expensive, emotionally draining, and time-consuming.
Each side may fear the other one will take an unreasonable approach. The best way to assuage this worry is to show that you’ll make a reasonable concession in the child’s best interests. For example, if your ex-spouse is an artist and your child loves their work, it’s best not to let the divorce come between the child and their passion.
Once you show that you’re committed to the children, hopefully, your ex-spouse will also take up this attitude if they didn’t have it before. Collaborative lawyers look to build long-lasting bridges early in the divorce proceedings when they’re vital and can influence the rest of the process.
Parents Need Stability
Finding the right balance between the parents’ and the child’s interests can be challenging. However, to be a good co-parent requires stable finances and routines.
Collaborative lawyers can be just as tough as any other family lawyer when it comes to representing their client’s custody and financial rights. Empathetic family lawyers understand when to offer an olive branch and when not to and how to proceed with each tactic.
Their ultimate aim is what’s best for the children, but only because that’s what each parent truly wants at the end of the day. Empathetic lawyers fight for their client’s rights over custody, access, and spousal support, all while advocating for what’s best for their children, too.
In many cases, people may not like the prospect of going through a divorce, but it’s the right option for them. Maybe their marriage was loveless or even violent. Either way, they need to split in a way that allows them to forge a new path while creating the foundations for healthy co-parenting. Empathetic family lawyers excel in finding this balance, so consider hiring one if you’re in this position.