Monmouth County Family Law Blog

When parents in New Jersey get divorced, they may have to make difficult decisions about how to handle child custody and visitation. Few parents want to spend more time away from their children, and joint custody is increasingly favored by family courts outside an environment of abuse or neglect. At the same time, however, every family's situation is unique. Concerns about employment, living conditions, supervision or educational continuity for the children may lead many families to opt for one parent to have primary physical custody of the children.

However, this does not have to mean that a noncustodial parent is absent or inactive. Many noncustodial parents enjoy extensive visitation time with their children, including frequent weekend or holiday overnight visits. They may even share legal custody, meaning that they also have authority over major decisions affecting the child, including issues regarding their health care or education. Of course, keeping up with child support payments is another important part of involvement for noncustodial parents.

When people in New Jersey decide to divorce, they may be concerned about how the separation will affect their children. Going through a divorce with children of any age can be a challenge, as can adapting to the co-parenting process. After all, divorced parents may have a wide range of problems with one another, but they still need to work together to raise their children and support their goals. Co-parenting a teenager can carry its own particular concerns, especially because going through adolescence can be challenging even when parents are still together.

When teens go through puberty, they face hormonal and physical changes. These can be reflected in changing behaviors, uneven moods and difficulties relating to their parents. Teens are also developing their independence and preparing for adult life: thinking about college or university, getting a summer job or becoming involved with politics or social justice. Teens can find themselves in conflict with their parents over rules and boundaries. This is an important stage in human development, but it can also challenge co-parents.

New Jersey parents who are considering getting divorced and are concerned about the challenges of child custody should consider several ways they may be able to improve their teenager's situation. Parenting is wrought with challenges, and it is especially difficult when the parents are living separately. However, by keeping communication open and putting their child first, parents can move forward with their own lives without compromising their teenager's well-being.

First, it is important to remember that a teenager generally has a tendency to want to manipulate situations for his or her own personal gains. For example, a teen might want to participate in risky behavior and experimentation, and he or she might have an easier time doing what he or she wants when the parents are divorced and live apart.

As you move through the divorce process, it'll often feel like you think about nothing else. This can cause you to overlook a variety of important aspects of your financial and personal lives.

Even though divorce will impact your financial circumstances in many ways, you can't use it as an excuse for not reaching your goals. For example, divorce shouldn't stop you from planning for retirement.