Choosing to adopt a child is a wonderful opportunity and a chance to give a child in need a loving and healthy home. If you are considering adoption, you need to know that the process can be lengthy and complicated. It is important to find a qualified adoption lawyer to help you meet your legal requirements and ensure that nothing will stop you from providing a loving home to an adoptive child.

Naturally, there are differences between raising an adopted child and a biological child. You will likely want to discuss the adoption with your child, and the way you approach these conversations can be different, depending on the child’s age, the circumstances of the adoption, and your relationship with them. While conversations about adoption can be tricky, and they are likely to provoke a variety of questions from a child, planning for how to address these issues can ensure that you approach the subject in the right way, strengthening your relationship with your child. Here are a few tips to make the conversation easier:  

While divorce can be difficult for a couple, it can be especially hard on any children they share. Divorcing parents will want to consider their children’s feelings and help them adjust to a new situation as smoothly as possible. When determining child custody arrangements, it is important to create a parenting time (visitation) schedule which ensures that both parents and children know when children will be in the care of each parent. Here are some tips for how to make a clear and concise parenting time schedule:

Parenting Time Schedules and Exceptions

The first step in creating a schedule is to determine which parent children will spend time with on a day-to-day basis. This will be the regular schedule your children will be most familiar with. The frequency of when parents will exchange children will depend on the type of child custody agreement. If parents share joint custody, children may stay with each parent in alternating weeks or on different days during the week. While children may not want to pack up and move to a new house every couple of days, they will also do not want to get too comfortable in one house before they have to change houses again. Finding a happy medium that allows both parents to spend quality time with their children is key.

Other considerations will apply if one parent has sole or primary custody, while children spend smaller amounts of parenting time with the other parent. In these cases, it is important to create a parenting time schedule that allows children to have the time they need with both parents.

The choice to get a divorce is a hard decision to make, and the process of ending a marriage can take a great deal of time, money, and energy. Needless to say, few people take the decision to divorce lightly. If you are not completely positive that divorce is your only option, a legal separation might be a better option, and one that is easier to reverse if you do decide to stay married. However, it is important to understand how each of these options will affect your finances, the custody of your children, and the benefits you can receive. If you are considering separation, you should work with an experienced attorney to ensure that you understand your rights and the processes that will be followed.

Legal Separation vs. Divorce

The main difference between legal separation and divorce is that during legal separation, you will remain legally married, while divorce will end your marriage. With a legal separation, you can maintain health insurance, life insurance, and Social Security benefits from your partner. If you get a divorce, you will no longer be eligible for these spousal benefits. In addition, in a legal separation, spouses are still considered next of kin and can make medical and financial decisions that affect each other. Spouses who are legally separated will also continue to be responsible for each other’s debts.

If you have chosen to legally separate in order to maintain certain benefits, this means that you will still be legally tied to your spouse. While you can begin a relationship with a new partner, you will not be able to get remarried until you have legally ended your marriage through divorce.

Job loss is hard at any time, but losing your job while you are going through divorce can be especially difficult. Since divorce will already have a large impact on your finances, the loss of your job is likely to make things even more complicated. When making decisions during the divorce process, it is important to consider all aspects of your financial situation, and a skilled attorney can help you understand how your employment will affect the outcome of your case.

Layoffs

In today’s unstable economic climate, it is hard to predict when companies will need to lay off employees. If you lose your job due to a layoff while you are going through divorce, it is important to let the court know of your situation. Since layoffs tend not to be the fault of an individual, the change in your financial situation should be taken into consideration in court. If you are required to pay spousal maintenance or child support, you may be able to adjust the amount of your obligations while you are actively looking for employment.

It is a sad statistic, but over 50% of marriages will end in divorce. Ending your marriage is not something that you decide to do spontaneously, but a decision that is weighed heavily before you act upon it. If you are planning on a divorce, it is important to think ahead and prepare for what you want your life to look like after the divorce has been finalized. This will help you avoid making irrational decisions and make sure that you come out of the situation with a plan for success. You will want to be sure to consider the following areas:

Finances

It is important to have a firm understanding of your financial situation before you file for divorce. This is necessary so that you know how much you will need in order to live independently. If you are seeking spousal maintenance (alimony) or expect to receive child support, you should consider how these payments will factor into your overall financial situation, but it is best to plan conservatively and limit your expenses as much as possible. Even if your divorce is mutual, both you and your former spouse will each be trying to gain as much financial advantage as possible, so you will want to be prepared for multiple possible outcomes.

Job Security

Regardless of how much alimony or child support you may receive, it is important to develop your own financial independence. If it seems that you might struggle to make ends meet on a single income, consider going back to school or enrolling in a work-training program to further your job qualifications. If you start your training or school before beginning the divorce process, the money spent to further these goals may be considered marital expenses rather than separate expenses.