How to Prepare Yourself for the Divorce Process
The divorce process is complicated and you need to be prepared. It’s a mistake to think of divorce as a single event – you get divorced and you’re done. The truth is there are really Four Divorces happening all at the same time, and over a period of time. Knowing that you need to go through these Four Divorces will help you be better prepared in your own divorce process. By M. Marcy Jones Most people going through a divorce have certain expectations and end up surprised when things go off track. The reality is there is so much more involved in the divorce process than just the lega...
Top 10 Tips for Divorcing Parents from a Family Law Attorney
Divorce can be an emotionally complicated and trying time, especially when there are children involved. As a family law attorney, mediator and coach, the author has seen a lot of ways parents mistakenly end up hurting their children in the process. These tips will help you keep your focus on your children’s needs. By M. Marcy Jones Divorce is such a complicated process, and there is so much emotion that needs to be sorted through. Putting your children’s needs ahead of your own isn’t easy, and parents constantly have to check in with themselves to make sure they are doing so. Many ...
5 Tips for Dating after Divorce
Dating after divorce is something that can be both delightful and nerve-wracking. Here are some tips to ensure your success in finding new love again. By Carolyn Ellis Dating after divorce can make you feel like you’ve landed on an alien planet. Especially if you’ve been in a long-term marriage or relationship, getting back out on the dating scene can be quite bewildering. Having been through a separation or divorce, one thing you want to try to ensure is that history isn’t going to repeat itself! These five tips can help you get your dating experience off on the right foot: 1....
20 Signs of Parental Alienation
Parental alienation occurs when one parent starts to alienate the affections of the children so the child does not want to be with or spend time with the other parent. It can have a devastating long-term effect on the children’s relationship with both parents. You may need to seek help from your family law attorney and/or a counsellor to help stop this pattern of behavior. Here are some of the most common signs that parental alienation could be taking place. by Douglas Darnall, Ph.D. To prevent the devastating effects of Parental Alienation, you must begin by recognizing the symptoms o...
Setting Ground Rules In Your Stepfamily
With two of three remarriages ending in divorce, it’s clearly challenging to successfully create a happy and lasting stepfamily. Preparation and good communication go a long way to helping you overcome the challenges of re-marriage, blending families, and stepparenting By Jeffrey Cottrill Stepfamilies are very different than a “traditional” family where all the children have the same parents and require new rules, guidelines and agreements than you might have been able to use before. Experts say that clear, all-inclusive plans are necessary to make a stepfamily work. Who spends tim...
10 Tips for Keeping Love Alive
Knowing how to nurture and strengthen your love relationships on a daily basis helps pave the way for sustainable love and connection. Here are some tips for keeping love alive in your relationship. By Diana Shepherd 1. Make time to connect lovingly with your partner every day. A couple can significantly improve their chances of relationship success by devoting as little as 15 minutes a day exclusively to each other. For instance, choose to go to bed a little earlier and wake up a little earlier, and spend the extra time in bed cuddling, making love, and reaffirming your love for each ot...
Making Co-Parenting Easier
You can ease the challenge of co-parenting with an ex-spouse by planning ahead and seeking professional help if necessary. Here are five tips to help make co-parenting easier post-divorce. By Brian James When parents divorce, it is the beginning of a new partnership in co-parenting their children. Co-parenting goes much more smoothly when there is a plan in place; it assures that no matter how you feel about your ex-spouse, the children's interests will come first. It's important to determine if you and your ex-spouse are comfortable enough to communicate directly about co-parenting i...
Life after Divorce: How to Tell When You’re Stuck
Life after divorce is challenging, especially for a single parent. Here are signs that you might be "stuck." By Carolyn Ellis Divorce is a game-changer and can turn your whole world upside down quickly. It’s easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. Without creating a big picture for our lives (the forest), it’s easy to get stuck in the daily issues of being a single parent (the trees). All parents have a lot on their plates, but single parents have additional responsibilities. For you, life can be a blur of managing your children, rebuilding your life, dealing with your ex,...
How Divorce Affects Teenagers – Part 2
When parents divorce and children are subjected to negative changes as a result, the experience can be very painful for their children. Learn how divorce affects teenagers, how to recognize that your teenager may be having trouble coping with divorce in your family, and some helpful steps you can take to ensure that they to grow up to be happy, healthy adults. By Donald A. Gordon Ph.D. and Jack Arbuthnot Ph.D. How to Help Your Teenager: Provide consistent supervision. Most parents need to improve certain parenting skills; this is true even if a marriage is solid. The preteen and t...
How Divorce Affects Young Children
Young children aged six to eight years often have very strong emotional responses to divorce and need support from their parents to cope with these emotions. With these strategies, you can learn how divorce affects young children and help your children adjust to life after divorce. By Donald A. Gordon Ph.D. and Jack Arbuthnot Ph.D. Children aged six to eight years old respond most often with grief. They express their grief through crying and sobbing; this happens with boys more than with girls. They also feel a deep yearning for the absent parent. The children will miss that parent inten...