There is no better time for a parent to behave as an adult than when facing a divorce, according a recent article penned by a family law attorney. She notes that it can be "extremely challenging" to behave as adult when confronted with the difficult emotions of a divorce and child custody dispute, but it must be done if you want to do all you can to ensure good outcomes.
She has developed some guidelines for ways to behave as an adult when faced with the onslaught of stresses in divorce.
First of all, she pointedly urges people not to pretend as if they are simply young and ignorant of rules of proper behavior. If you're old enough to be a parent getting a divorce, "you should be old and wise enough to know what constitutes dumb behavior," she writes.
That means when you're facing the end of your marriage, don't go on wild spending sprees to make yourself feel better. She says you're going to need your credit cards to pay for things such as moving, a security deposit, legal fees and more. Plus, guess what? Your ex's attorney is going to examine your credit card statements. It will be difficult then, in a custody dispute, to claim in a King County courtroom that you're a good and responsible parent when you've maxed out your credit cards.
More poor behavior to avoid: public displays of things such as drunkenness, profanity, anger, nudity, etc. None of those are acceptable from a mature adult trying to convince a court that you are a good parent.
There are more hints and suggestions if you click on this link to the article.
If you are ready to discuss ways to protect the best interests of your children, and your rights as a parent, contact an experienced divorce lawyer.