According to research, parental divorce/separation increases the likelihood of child and adolescent adjustment problems such as scholastic challenges (e.g., poorer grades and school dropout), disruptive behaviors (e.g., bad conduct and drug use problems), and melancholy moods.
A growing percentage of children worldwide face family instability as a result of divorce/separation or nonmarital childbearing/cohabitation. Alternatives to stable marriage are more prevalent in Western countries (including Australia and New Zealand) and are less prevalent but developing in industrialized Asian countries. Cohabitation, which is more unstable than marriage, is particularly common in Northern and Western Europe, lowering divorce rates but not those of single-parent families.
When a marriage ends, some parents often wonder, “Should we stay together for the sake of the kids?”
And while all parents may be concerned about a variety of issues, ranging from their future living situation to the uncertainty of the custody agreement, their children’s reaction to the divorce may be what worries them the most.
Roles of Divorce Lawyers and Attorneys in Such Stressful Situations
In such a painful situation, when looking for a divorce lawyer and attorney, you want someone who not only understands the law but also understands you, your children and your family situation. Professional and expert attorneys and divorce lawyers take pleasure in giving each and every case the unique care and attention it requires.
Being professionals and experts in the concerned field, they will not just hand over your case to a junior associate or paralegal. Instead, they will engage directly with you and will work relentlessly to ensure your voice is heard and your particular requirements are met because each case is equally important to them.
Keeping the above discussion in mind, it was noticed and recognized worldwide that lawyers, paralegals, and legal professionals all play some outstanding roles in the above-mentioned stressful situations for families that are going through the process of divorce or separation.
Historical perspective of the matter
With an early (starting in the late 1960s) and high increase in divorce, followed by an explosion in nonmarital birth with or without cohabitation, the United States has been a “leader” in family change.
Divorce rates rose in most other Western countries a decade or two later, and industrialized Asian countries appear to be changing too. Today, only approximately 60% of children in the United States live with their married, biological parents, a figure second only to Latvia.
Some consider family instability to be a serious public health issue for children, while others consider divorce/separation to be generally benign, even beneficial, especially for spouses in unhappy marriages or children exposed to high conflict.
Research Findings on How Divorce and Separation Affect Children
Academic Obstacles
The likelihood of adjustment issues in children and adolescents, such as academic obstacles (like lower grades and school dropout), disruptive behaviors (like bad conduct and drug use problems), and depression, is increased by parental divorce or separation, according to research.
Family instability
Children of divorced or separated parents are more likely to engage in risky sexual activity, live in poverty, and experience family instability. Risk normally rises by a factor of 1.5 to 2. Nonetheless, the majority of children whose parents divorce are resilient and show no noticeable psychological difficulties.
Anxiety about events
However, it is crucial to note that even resilient young people from divorced homes frequently describe painful experiences or interactions, such as anxiety about events like graduations or weddings where both parents may be present.
Socioemotional issues
Individual, family, ethnic, and cultural aspects all help to mitigate the dangers connected with changes in children’s family lives, emphasizing the significance of acknowledging family variety.
Parental separation, for example, is associated with more socioemotional issues in white children than in black or Hispanic children in the United States. Acceptance of alternatives to marriage, as well as extended family support, contribute to such ethnic diversity.
Depression
Children and adolescents who witnessed their parents’ divorce showed increased rates of depression, decreased self-esteem, and emotional discomfort. Parental divorce is also linked to unfavorable outcomes and early life transitions as children enter adolescence and later adulthood.
Post Marriage Effects After Separation on Children
Grief can cause children to express behaviors and feelings like
- wanting and pining
- sadness and depression
- anger and hostility
- Anxiety
- Guilt
- Humiliation and
- despair over time.
The experience of every child and teenager with the loss of their known family unit is unique, although it almost always causes great emotional pain. Children’s early responses to a break-up might include a variety of defense behaviors, such as denial, disbelief, detachment, hyperactivity, irritability and protest, alarm, and terror.
Steps to Reduce the Children’s Stress
The good news is that parents can help their children cope with the psychological impacts of divorce. A few supportive parenting techniques can go a long way toward assisting children in adjusting to the changes brought about by divorce.
- The first and most important step is to maintain healthy and happy relations even after separation for the sake of your children, and take proper time from the family courts through your family lawyer for the kids.
- The second step is to help them realize that they are safe and secure even after divorce.
- The third step is to never argue or use offensive language with each other in front of your kids. Try and make sure you closely monitor them and endeavor to create an amicable co-parenting relationship for the sake of your children and their happiness.
Conclusion
According to research, children struggle the most within the first year or two after a divorce.
Distress, wrath, worry, and unbelief are all common emotions among children. However, many children appear to recover.
They become accustomed to changes in their regular routines and become more at ease with their living circumstances. Others, on the other hand, never seem to return to “normal.” This small minority of youngsters may face ongoing and possibly lifelong issues as a result of their parent’s divorce.
In conclusion, we can say without a doubt that divorce and separation processes may turn into nightmares along the way, but we should always endeavor to keep our children away from the situation.
We should also try to hire and engage a permanent divorce or family lawyer who will help in securing a suitable arrangement from the courts after the divorce; one that will help the children feel like their whole world hasn’t just been turned upside down.