Lakewood Family Law Blog

Divorced parents who raise their children separately usually run into some rough patches along the way, especially if the divorce was particularly difficult. It's a tale as old as child custody law itself, where parents who dislike each other or hold grudges from their marriage use their children to punish or reward behavior in each other.

Primarily, this is unfair and destructive to the child. Any parent who excuses this behavior in themselves needs to take a close look at his or her priorities and ask themselves if they truly believe that the child is unaware of this game.

The modern trend in child custody cases throughout the United States is to award divorcing parents with 50-50 legal custody, also known as "joint legal custody." Legal custody, in this context, refers to the decision-making authority of both parents to direct important matters relating to the upbringing of their children. For example, co-parents with 50-50 custody will need to agree on matters of schooling, religion, medical care and other parenting concerns.

This is the trend as it applies to legal custody. When it comes to physical custody, Colorado parents may find that family court judges are more inclined to award physical custody -- i.e., the parent the child lives with -- to just one parent. If parents can agree outside of court to split physical custody 50-50, a judge is likely to go along with the parent's wishes. However, if the parents cannot agree on this issue, the judge is more likely to select only one parent to receive physical custody.

There is no easy answer to the ultimate divorce question: "How do you know when it's time to end your marriage?" Some couples have resurrected their marriages from the ashes of infidelity, addiction and other challenging relationship problems. But other couples were unable to resolve their marital difficulties and made the tough choice to bring their relationships to a close.

In terms of knowing when it's time to call it quits on your marriage, you might want to review the following signs that your marriage may be coming to an end:

Money and financial stresses are one of the biggest reasons why people choose to get a divorce. However, divorce will not necessarily solve one's financial woes. They may make them worse. Higher expenses will apply to your post-divorce life -- and you need to prepare for those expenses. Furthermore, you may be at risk of getting an unfair divorce settlement, so it's vital to protect your marital property rights throughout your divorce proceedings.

With your financial health in mind, here are a few things you will want to consider during your divorce proceedings: