If you and your partner have decided to divorce each other and now you live separately, the biggest issue you might face is how to deal with child custody after divorce and protect your children from the effects of the separation. No matter what the problem was with your relationship, it’s clear that you both adore your children and only want what’s best for them, which is why all your actions should be aimed at keeping them healthy and happy. The place you choose as your home when you get custody of your children can have a huge impact on them and how they perceive the new circumstances, but there are also some other aspects to regard. Here are some things you should keep in mind when looking for a new home for you and your children if you’ve recently been divorced.
Things to Consider When it Comes to Child Custody After Divorce
Review Your Finances
Going through a divorce is difficult enough emotionally, but, in addition, you can expect it to be a significant financial setback for you. After all, now your family has to live in two places while paying too sets of bills, and the move itself can turn out to be an expensive venture. This is why it’s important that you’re clear with what your finances will be after the divorce is finalized. Bear in mind the cost of the rent or your loan payments, if you decide to get one, as well as the taxes you’ll have to pay throughout the separation process. Also, consider the ways you can save money and what other expenses you can adjust to be able to afford your new living charges.
You can’t look for a new home before you know for certain what your monthly budget will be and how much of it you can use for rent and utilities. While there may be some hard feelings between you and your ex-partner, talking to them is essential in this case, not only to find out how you can help each other find an appropriate home for your children, but also because coparenting is something you have to get used to and something you have to make work to the best of your abilities for the sake of your children. Child custody after divorce often results in conflict between both parents, which is why it is crucial to develop a healthy coparenting relationship.
Owning Vs. Renting
As hard as going through a divorce is and as much as you might want to settle down and get your life back in order, it’s vital that you don’t rush into something you won’t be able to manage. Buying a home is one option and owning a property might be a great thing, but you have to be extremely cautious with the financial implications of it, as it doesn’t just come down to buying a house or an apartment, but also taxes, furniture, down payments, and various other fees.
Bear in mind that this period is a tumultuous one and that you can’t allow yourself to gamble with your children’s future, which perhaps makes renting a better alternative. Not only is it more affordable, but it gives you the opportunity to settle down for a bit and weigh all your options before you commit to something more permanent.
Including your former partner in the decision-making process is another thing you might want to do. For instance, courts in Texas are in support of joint custody, as they believe that children benefit greatly from maintaining a healthy and meaningful relationship with both their parents. This is why many people there opt for renting contemporary Midland apartments with a wide range of amenities and features, including garage or parking spaces.
Court Requirements
Although there are certain standards that the court will set for your new home, those standards are only there to ensure the well-being of your children. Once you go over them, you’ll actually learn that it’s not that complicated to find a court-acceptable home for you and your children.
For example, they’ll want the place to be safe for the children, meaning that you shuldn’t move to a neighborhood with high crime rates, that there aren’t any harmful substances or mold in the home, or that there are gates on the property so that your children can’t simply run out into a street with busy traffic as soon as they step out the front door.
Next, they’ll want the house or the apartment to be big enough for your family, which includes your child or children getting their own rooms. It would be great if your new place isn’t much smaller than your previous home, but having enough space for them to live comfortably will usually suffice. The court will also take into account the proximity of your new home to the children’s school and different extracurricular activities, so make those the center point around which you’ll search for a new home.
Although you might be in a challenging situation right now, it’s important to know you’re not alone. Seek support from your loved ones or professionals and devote your time and patience to giving your children something to lean on. Talk to them, validate their emotions and opinions, and let them know both their parents will always be there to love and support them, whether they live together or not.
Lilly Miller is a Sydney-based graphic designer and a passionate writer. She loves everything about home decor, art history, and baking. She shares a home with two loving dogs and a gecko named Rodney.
That there are gates on the property so that your children can not simply run out into a street with busy traffic as soon as they step out the front door.