Tyler Legal Issues Blog

There will come a point when your divorce is in the past and you need to turn your attention to the future. As challenging as it may be to move on, doing so will help put your children in the best position to succeed.

While every parent takes a different approach to co-parenting, these five tips will help keep you on track:

• Take into account everyone's feelings: Don't focus so much time on your feelings that you overlook what's best for your children and even your ex-spouse. When everyone is comfortable with the situation, there's less risk of a disagreement.
• Pick your battles wisely: You'll have no problem finding things to argue about with your ex-spouse, but this isn't healthy for anyone. Pick your battles wisely, as you don't want to turn every disagreement into a major blow-up.
• Continue to communicate with your ex: If you don't communicate effectively with your ex, it will affect the both of you, as well as your children. It doesn't matter how you communicate, as long as you do so. Phone, text, email and face-to-face communication are all ideas to consider.
• Remain flexible: There are times when you or your ex-spouse will need to alter the schedule that's in place. Unless you absolutely can't make a change, you should try to accommodate the request.
• Never put your children in the middle: It's your hope that you can eventually get along with your ex, but even if you can't, you never want to put your children in the middle of your toxic relationship. For instance, don't ask your children about their other parent's dating life. Don't speak poorly about your ex in front of your children. Doing these types of things makes an already difficult situation more challenging.

Ending a marriage is an upheaval at any age, but it can be especially difficult for those who are over the age of 50. In fact, divorce is ranked number two on the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory. Divorce rates are rising for those who are over the age of 50 in Texas and throughout the nation in spite of the fact that they are staying steady or falling for younger people.

Separating from a spouse later in life can result in depression or the onset of symptoms generally associated with depression. Those who have been in abusive relationships may have nightmares or otherwise think about what they endured while married. If a person becomes depressed, he or she may be less active or be more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as spending too much money or overeating.

The perception of prenuptial agreements has been changing for a number of years, in Texas and across the country. Where mentioning the idea a few years ago may have resulted in an argument, prenups have now become much more commonplace and less taboo. This is due at least in part to their usefulness. While no one goes into a marriage planning to divorce, having a prenuptial agreement in place before the marriage begins can alleviate a number of financial and psychological stresses if divorce becomes a possibility.

A prenuptial agreement may be especially important in cases where business interests are involved. Having a prenup allows the parties to establish what the business is worth when the marriage begins, which can be important in calculating the parties' contributions to the business if the marriage ends in divorce. The document can also set out exactly what will happen with regard to the appreciation or depreciation of the company's value during the marriage.

Divorced Texas parents, no matter their own conflicted relationship, usually want what is best for the children. However, with the negative feelings often associated with a break up comes the possibility of exhibiting parental behavior that can negatively affect the children. It is possible to protect the emotional wellbeing of children after a divorce by keeping in mind that they have certain rights that need to be respected.

To promote children's wellbeing after divorce, parents should remember that children have the right to continue positive relationships with both their parents and, as time goes on, with any stepparents. They also have the right to decide how they want these relationships to develop, who they spend time with and how they show their affection. They should not be prevented from developing relationships with both parents and should not have to listen to one parent speak negatively about the other.