Should I be concerned that my divorce will hurt my kids?

Q: Should I be concerned that my divorce will hurt my kids?
-- Concerned Parent

A: Dear Concerned:
Many people worry that if they divorce their spouse, their kids will suffer. Whether that is true depends on many factors, such as the nature of the couple’s relationship, each parent’s financial status, and how each parent approaches the divorce.
The traditional view in our society was that divorce was always a bad thing. In recent years, many studies have shown that divorce can actually benefit kids, if it’s handled well. Of course, when parents argue and fight it does negatively impact children greatly. So get the support you need to create an amicable divorce.

In a recent Psychology Today article, licensed social worker Susan Pease Gadoua suggests that parents contemplating divorce examine five issues to shed light on your decision-making processes:

Consider what the children are learning about relationships from your current marriage and from a potential divorce;
Determine the likely positive and negative impacts of divorce on your children and how you can create positivity;
Consider how you might feel if you were still married five years later;
Try a six-month test of full commitment to the marriage and see how you feel at the end of that time; and
Take a trial separation period to see how the kids fare.

If you’re ready to address your financial questions about divorce, schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session.™ A Personal Family Lawyer® can review your existing plan and help you make adjustments that will help support you to achieve your goals.