The turmoil and trauma involved in child custody battles can be severe, but it augments the dispute when one parent is afflicted with addiction. A divorce and family law attorney who understands the complexities of custody challenges will work on behalf of the client and in the child's best interest. Usually, the court appoints a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) and a Child Representative. Their evaluation will help facilitate the child-custody decree. A dedicated family law attorney will provide dispute resolutions to mitigate the family's emotional stress and financial burdens.

Five Addictions that Trigger Child-Custody Battles  

A spouse suffering from addiction can wreak havoc on the child’s emotions and parental relationships. Substance abuse addiction impairs judgment and decision-making and can lead to domestic violence, further endangering the child. The risky behaviors of addicted spouses can significantly impact the court’s decisions in custody battles. Such addictions include, but are not limited to substance abuse, porn addiction, gambling addiction, compulsive shopping, and sex addiction. 

Failing to follow provisions, like addiction treatment, of the child-custody decree may lead to restricted parenting time or other consequences. Contingent on recovery or relapse, the family law lawyer will be able to make modifications to the decree.

During these unprecedented times, nothing is certain. Divorce is surging in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the pandemic instigated an increase in divorce, with an uptick of 21 percent from 2020. Along with health anxieties, many other stressors caused couples to contemplate divorce. Almost 10 million Americans lost employment, and parents who could work virtually faced additional challenges of overseeing their children’s remote learning and child care. Confinement with a spouse for several months can also trigger irritability and frustration. Loneliness from the isolation of friends, relatives, coworkers, and social activities affected children and adults alike.

The quarantine exposed underlying marital problems for many spouses, provoking some to rethink their future. A divorce attorney can help facilitate an amicable solution.

How to Prepare for Financial Matters in Your Divorce

One of the most important parts of the divorce process is addressing marital and non-marital property and debt. Ideally, spouses will find a property division arrangement that maintains the quality of life they are accustomed to. If a spouse refuses to provide full and accurate financial information, the divorce attorney will also search for any property hidden by the other spouse. If either party was furloughed or laid off during the pandemic, this may also impact property division and other matters in the divorce case. 

Studies suggest that although the overall divorce rate has stabilized in America, divorce for couples over 50 has continued to rise. Many couples wait to get divorced until their children are adults, and, coupled with other life-changing events like retirement and major illnesses that happen later in life, perhaps these statistics are not surprising. 

While divorcing couples with adult children can dodge some complex issues like custody and visitation, they still confront the daunting task of telling their children about the divorce. Adults are still deeply affected by parental divorce, and may feel anger, fear of abandonment, resentment, and more. And because adult children are old enough to understand the implications of divorce and the complexities of relationships, their questions are likely to be more pointed and will require more comprehensive answers than those of a young child. If you are getting divorced in Illinois and have adult children, here are some tips for breaking the news. 

Tell Your Children in Person 

The initial conversation about divorce can be incredibly difficult for everyone and experts recommend trying to avoid having this conversation over the phone. While your children may be adults, you are still their parent, and you need to be judicious about the information you share and how you share it. To some extent, your job as a parent is still to protect your children; they are not responsible for your divorce but will still be stuck dealing with many of the consequences.