Important Steps Parents Can Take To Minimize Negative Side-Effects Of Divorce For Their Children
Divorce can be earth-shattering for everyone, but arguably no one suffers more than the children involved. That being said, while divorce has proven to have devastating impact on these young people at the time, some research now suggests that these children do not experience long-term side-effects.
In an article in Scientific American Mind, authors Hal Arkowitz and Scott O. Lilienfeld acknowledge that while divorce is often extremely trying for children, studies show that as these children become adults, few experience lasting, serious effects.
While the divorce is occurring, and even in the period following, it is typical for kids to experience anxiety, anger, depression, shock, etc. However, Arkowitz and Lilienfeld argue that all of these negative effects are short-lived. In support of this, they point to a study conducted by sociologist, Paul R. Amato. Amato’s research followed kids whose parents divorced during childhood, into their adolescence and teenage years. He then compared those children to others whose family remained intact. The results showed that there were relatively few differences between the two groups of children. Ultimately, those with divorced parents typically recovered quickly and handled … Read More... “Divorce Research Shows Children Suffer No Real, Long-Term Effects of Divorce”
Do you and your spouse BOTH recognize that your marriage is emotionally and all but officially over? Have you been procrastinating moving forward with dissolution and terminating your marriage? Not a pleasant decision, but sometimes a necessary one. Well, there is still time to accomplish and complete that objective around the first of the year.
I couple weeks ago, I attended a very exciting and thrilling divorce seminar (said no one ever) where a portion of it was dedicated to giving an update on divorce court forms to reflect gender neutral identifiers for the divorce parties. For example, instead of using husband and wife, the court forms will now use spouse 1 and spouse 2 or other similar gender neutral identifiers. I still say the classic Plaintiff and Defendant identifiers are easier, but it is not my courthouse.
The Supreme Court of New Hampshire recently held that courts may consider premarital cohabitation when considering the division of a same-sex couple’s assets. In the Matter of Deborah Munson and Coral Beal, the New Hampshire court was faced with a divorce and division of assets of a same-sex couple who lived together for 15 years before a civil union was held, followed by a marriage three years later. During the 15 years before the marriage, the couple essentially acted and functioned as a married couple, both socially and financially. However, the trial court awarded Beal limited alimony and a small percent of the marital estate based upon the short duration of the marriage. Upon appeal, her attorneys argued that the district court should have considered the 15 years the couple cohabitated prior to the marriage.
The reasons couples divorce are as varied and different as the individuals involved. However, upon closer examination, it seems that there is often a common thread as to why the breakdown occurred.
Your divorce is finalized! It is over and done, and you have moved on with your life. The assets, monetary accounts, retirement accounts, and the like all have been divided per the divorce decree. With that divorce decree in hand, you ex-spouse is no longer entitled to any future benefit you may receive, and that goes the same for you. However, there is one benefit you want to keep in mind when you are approaching retirement age. That benefit is the ability to collect Social Security Retirement on your ex-spouses record even if he or she has remarried! Like all government benefits there are some requirements you must meet in order to collect under your ex-spouse’s work record.