The Pandemic’s Impact on Family Relationships
The pandemic has delivered blow after blow in 2020, and while it has spared some, many have been — and continue to be — directly impacted. Millions of people are grieving losses of some sort, whether it is the loss of a loved one, a business, a job or even a relationship. The pandemic also brought with it stay-at-home orders across the US, which forced families into isolation, doing things they had never done — like working from home (while everyone is at home) and home-schooling — and on top of that the added financial stresses and limited outlets to blow off steam. And that is just a small snapshot of the unprecedented times families have gone through. It is no surprise that relationships have suffered.
“By April, the interest in divorce had already increased by 34% in the US,” according to an article in The National Law Review.
Divorce and Child Custody
Today, more than 23 million children in the US live in a single-parent household according to this publication by The US Census Bureau. If you are going through a divorce and have children under the age of 18, child custody will be a contentious issue in the process. It’s important to realize you’re not alone, and there are professionals that can help guide you through the emotional process.
What advice you would offer prospective clients who are facing divorce and child custody battles?
1. Hire the right attorney. This can be the singular most important factor in your case/situation. Family Law, like Criminal Law, requires competent attorneys with local knowledge. Having an attorney with a solid understanding of the presiding judge and how that judge may rule in a particular situation — or with a particular set of facts — is very important.
2. Attend mediation. Participating in mediation early and often in hopes of avoiding the courthouse and find amicable resolution help make it possible to continue to co-parent post-divorce.
3. Don’t sweat the small stuff and remember that the child(ren)’s interests are the most important.
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