Divorce is often viewed as and usually feels like, a negative thing. While it can be extremely challenging, divorce may also be the right decision for your family. Fortunately, divorce is not just about ending a marriage. It also is an important stage in preparing yourself and your family for the next chapter. Here are a few ways that you can get ready for a new stage of life during your divorce process:
Financial support
Alimony and child support payments are often necessary for life after divorce. Not only is your relationship changing, but your financial life is as well. Often, one party makes more money than the other or one completely supports the family. You may need to negotiate alimony or spousal support to make sure that you can continue to pay your bills after your divorce. If you are the custodial parent, you will likely also need child support payment to help supply basic needs like food, clothing and shelter for your child.
Parental support
No matter if you are the custodial or non-custodial parent, you should start a conversation about creating a co-parenting agreement. This is a document that you make with your co-parent to plan how you will parent your child as a divorced couple. It will help you understand expectations and rules that need to be made, like custody and visitation schedules. You can also use it to address any potential conflicts, like how you communicate and basic family rules. A co-parenting agreement is one of the best ways to set your family up for success in the next stage of your life.
A great first step to preparing for the next phase of your life is to talk with your attorney. They will be able to give suggestions of how you can get the financial and parental support that you will need to be successful.