Florida parents who are considering divorce might wonder if it would better to postpone separation for their children’s sake. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. While divorce can have a very real effect on children, including how likely it is that they will divorce later in life, divorce may be less stressful for them.
For example, if there is abuse in the marriage, divorce may be the best option. In other cases, parents may want to try counseling before they move ahead with a divorce. This lets them be certain that they have tried everything before parting ways. Once a couple has put this work in, it may become clear that they simply cannot reconcile. If their unhappiness and conflict become apparent to the children, this may be another reason to divorce. When parents are happier when they are apart than when they are together, it may be obvious to children, who can pick up on their parents’ stress and feel stress in turn.
On the other hand, parents might weigh the costs of divorce and decide they are too great. They might go through counseling and be able to work together effectively again. They might be concerned about the effect of divorce on their child’s emotional state and educational opportunities and decide the sacrifice is worthwhile.
Even if parents do decide to go ahead and divorce, they can put their child at the center of things and make decisions with the best interests of the child in mind. This is what a judge does when making a child custody decision, but parents do not necessarily have to go to a family law court to get a child custody agreement. They can negotiate one together or with the help of their attorneys as well as an agreement for co-parenting after the divorce.
