Family Lawyers
As a family begins, its journey of separation and or divorce, it can be a particularly stressful and challenging time for the parents, and this stress can flow on to the children. The divorce itself does not sort out property settlement or arrangements for the children. To sort out a property settlement and arrangements for the children is family law. Dealing with families on a regular basis that are experiencing (and or have been through) separation and divorce in the Bendigo region, we have experienced first-hand the impact a divorce can have on a child’s emotional state.
Children are more receptive than they are typically given credit for and understand more about what is going on than parents realise.
Many factors need to be taken onto consideration when assessing the stress of a divorce on children:
Parental status:
Is the separation amicable and cordial, or is it aggressive either physically and or emotionally? Is the home environment a state of constant aggression and turmoil before the separation?
The age of the children:
What are the ages of your children? Depending on the age of a child, divorce and separation can have a different impact. A report from the New York Times (although from 1984) states
“Five years after the marriage broke up, younger children in the study appeared to be more depressed and emotionally scarred than older siblings. But after 10 years had passed, younger children carried fewer memories of stressful events while older children tended to suffer continued vivid, damaging memories.”
Are there Siblings?:
Siblings can often turn to each other for support and someone to talk to about what is happening.
The stress of the unknown on children (not just parents):
- How will this impact me?
- Do we have to leave our family home?
- Can I stay at my private school?
- Do I get to choose where I live?
- How do I tell my friends?
- What’s the new normal?
People often use the term “messy,” when referring to a divorce that a couple may be experiencing. Divorce can be daunting from a legal, and a financial perspective, let alone the emotional toll it can take on the couple separating. But what about the children? How is their emotional state holding up?
At JS Law, we can help you through each stage of the divorce law and family law process locally here in Bendigo, Woodend and Gisborne, and offer some guidance on an emotional level. We do not pretend to be psychiatrists or psychologists, but the Bendigo, Woodend and Gisborne region has excellent support services available to help both adults and children through what can be an extremely challenging time emotionally.
If you need a local lawyer that can explain the entire separation process from start to finish in simple terms, please call JS Law for a confidential meeting and organise an initial meeting so you can sit down with a family lawyer and at the very least understand how to prepare for separation and divorce process. We can then also guide you to those services that can provide professional emotional support and help for yourself and your children.
Call the team at JS Law today.
