Separating from someone that you’re in a relationship with can be one of the hardest things that you go through in your adult life. Depending on how connected you are with this other person, there may be legal implications that you have to deal with as well. That’s why it’s always good to know the law surrounding your specific circumstances.
Usually, you’ll start with some mediation. If that doesn’t work out, you can try a trial separation. Beyond that, you may need a lawyer to help with divorce proceedings. And one of the most contentious aspects of separating from someone is if you have children together. At that point, working through child custody and support laws can be very stressful.
Mediation
If you’re getting in many arguments with your partner or even your family, mediation may be a good step. You can either try to do it by yourself, or you can contact a family law mediation lawyer. An attorney can help you by making sure everyone understands the legal implications of separation if there are irreconcilable differences. Under certain circumstances, they can help you move from mediation to separation or divorce.
Separation
Before you get the law involved too far, you and your partner can do a trial separation. One person will move out of the shared space, and people will see if they can live apart. Depending on how close you are with your partner or spouse, this can show you how well you can live without being in each other’s space. For some people, it ends up being an indication that they would be better apart. And for other people, it showcases the fact that they need to be together.
Divorce
Researching divorce laws can be exhausting. But before you make that decision completely, the more you know about the legal aspect of divorce, the better you can choose. Ideally, you will split with your partner amicably, but many times this is not the case. There are lawyers involved. There is stress involved. Financial matters have to be dealt with. If you have any shared belongings, they have to be split along appropriate economic lines as well. The law is there to help you make sense of all of these issues.
Child Custody and Support
In the middle of all of this legal wrangling, there are the matters of child custody and support as well. Children who are stuck in the middle of separation and divorce proceedings have certain legal rights. Their parents cannot use them as leverage to get something out of the other partner. Judges and child advocates are very specific about what kind of support children should have, and parents need to respect that is they are going through legal processes.
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