Divorce is painful for everyone, parents, children, and even friends. But it is especially difficult for children with special needs. Arranging care and parenting time is already a complicated balance between schedules, work, and lingering emotional attachments, add into that a child that has trouble understanding the situation, and the ground is fertile for constant disputes. This post will go over the unique issues faced by divorcing parents with special needs children.
Issues to consider with special needs children, Part 1
Help your child receive the financial support they need
Divorce can be incredibly hard on a Florida child. After growing accustomed to living with both of their parents in a family home, they may wake up one morning to find out that their parents will no longer have a relationship and that they may have to move or be forced to share their time in two separate households. The upheaval of a child's life due to divorce can be even more dramatic if they must change schools, change the activities that they participate in, or even relocate in order to meet the terms of any custodial arrangements the court establishes contemporaneous with their parents' divorce.
Should I seek sole custody of my child?
When children are subject to child custody determinations, courts will always look to protect the children's best interests when making choices about who will have rights to care for the youths. In Florida, a parent may share physical and legal custody of their child with the child's other parent, or a parent may receive sole custody of the child. This post will address several reasons why a parent may wish to have sole custody of their child, but as all family law matters should be evaluated on their specific merits, readers are asked not to use this post as legal advice or counsel.
Florida couple begins high asset divorce
When most couples prepare to divorce, they inventory the matters that they will have to work out before the partners may untangle their lives from each other. For example, Floridians may discuss who will take their house, how their children will be shared regarding custody and visitation time, and if either of them will request spousal support from the other. These matters are incredibly important and require individuals to prioritize what is important to them and fight for what they need.
Will I have to pay my spouse alimony after we divorce?
Even though a couple may go through a divorce, the couple may still have obligations to each other through other commitments such as their shared business or investment interests, collaborative property ownership and ongoing obligations related to their children. Additionally, the ex-partners may continue to be connected to one another if a Florida court orders one of the individuals to pay the other financial support in the form of alimony.
Significant penalties can apply for failing to pay child support
There are many reasons that being a parent is hard, but being parent who does not have full custody of their child is incredibly tough. Often when a Florida parent does not have physical custody of their child the parent is required to pay financial support to their offspring for the child's care and maintenance. The state of Florida offers parents guidelines for determining how much child support they will have to pay, and courts can order specific amounts based on families' particular situations and needs.
Silver divorces demand updates to estate plans
Going through a silver divorce is rough. You probably thought that you were going to spend the rest of your life with your spouse, but then you found out that it was over. Everything about your life and your ex's life are probably so intertwined that it might seem difficult to think of having to separate everything and move forward on your own.
Custody and visitation issues may arise during holidays
Parents look forward to spending time with their children regardless of the time of year. Often, though, during the holidays they have a little bit more time to enjoy playtime and conversations with their kids and to engage in activities through which they may forge stronger bonds. For Florida families that have undergone separations and divorces, though, the holidays can be difficult periods of the year when loved ones cannot be together.
