Recent Blog Posts
Divorce When Your Spouse Struggles With Addiction
Facing divorce is challenging. It can feel even heavier when your spouse struggles with addiction. When separation feels imminent, worries about how your spouse’s substance abuse may affect your children, your finances, and your future can come up. You may also be unsure when it is time to speak with a divorce lawyer or what questions to ask. Understanding how addiction fits into the divorce process can help you make informed decisions while protecting yourself and your children.
Is Addiction a Legal Reason for Divorce?
In most states, divorce does not require proof that one spouse caused the marriage to fail. For example, Illinois, like many states, allows divorce based on irreconcilable differences. This means the focus is on whether the marriage can continue, not on placing blame.
Regardless, addiction may still matter in practical ways. Courts often look at patterns of behavior and how they affected the relationship. Substance abuse can be part of the overall picture when the court evaluates parenting, finances, or the need for temporary orders. It is often less about labels and more about real-life impact.
Can a DUI Be Used Against You in a Divorce or Custody Case?
Charges of driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) are usually thought of as criminal matters that are handled only in traffic or criminal courts. In reality, the effects of a drunk driving charge can extend far beyond fines, a license suspension, and other related penalties. When a person is involved in divorce or child custody proceedings, a DUI may become relevant in family court as well. The way these issues intersect will depend on the facts of a case and whether children’s safety or a couple’s marital finances may be affected.
Why DUI Charges Can Matter in Family Law Cases
Family courts will often focus on finding fair and equitable solutions as couples take steps to end their marriages, and they will also take steps to protect the well-being of children who are involved in family law cases. When a DUI charge suggests that a person may exhibit impaired judgment, risky behavior, or substance abuse, it may raise questions that could be relevant in a divorce or child custody case. A single incident may not automatically determine the outcome of a case, but it can become part of a broader picture that the court will consider.
Creating a Fair Holiday Visitation Schedule After Divorce
Visitation for the holidays can be a controversial topic for divorced parents. Naturally, you want meaningful time with your children. A clear and balanced holiday visitation schedule can reduce conflict and give your children stability. When you work with a family law attorney, you can better understand your options and protect your parenting time.
What Does a Fair Holiday Visitation Schedule Look Like?
A fair schedule puts your child’s needs first and gives both parents real opportunities to share important moments. Fair does not always mean that every holiday is split in half. Instead, it means that each parent gets meaningful, quality time. In many families, parents rotate holidays every year. One parent may have Christmas Eve this year, while the other has Christmas Day. The next year, they switch. Some parents choose to alternate Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, or long weekend holidays. Other families decide to divide winter break into two sections.
What Can I Do if My Ex Is Turning My Kids Against Me?
As a father, you can feel it when your children start to pull away from you. It might leave you angry, confused, or helpless. Many divorced fathers go through this, and the law recognizes it as a serious problem called parental alienation. Understanding alienation can help you protect your relationship with your children and take legal steps toward a healthier co-parenting arrangement. Start by talking to a family law attorney who is familiar with the challenges that fathers face.
What Is Parental Alienation?
Parental alienation happens when a parent tries to damage a child’s relationship with the other parent. It can start with small comments or emotional pressure, like blaming or guilt-tripping. Over time, the child might start to internalize what that parent says and reject the other parent.
How Do You Co-Parent With a Narcissistic Ex-Wife?
The word "narcissist" gets used often these days, sometimes casually to describe a difficult personality. However, when your ex-wife shows true narcissistic traits, co-parenting can feel impossible at times.
Narcissists thrive on control, conflict, and manipulation. For fathers, this often means constant arguments, disregard for agreements, and stress that spills over onto your children. Even in these difficult situations, a child custody lawyer can help you protect your parental rights and the well-being of your children.
Signs of Narcissistic Behavior in a Co-Parent
Narcissistic parents often put their own needs above the child’s. Some warning signs include:
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Constantly criticising or belittling you in front of your child
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Ignoring boundaries or refusing to respect the agreed-upon schedule
What Happens If Your Child Gets Into Trouble While You Have Custody?
For single dads parenting after divorce, it can sometimes feel like you are under a microscope. You may be doing your best to provide a safe and stable environment, but then something happens — your child sneaks alcohol at a party, experiments with marijuana, or stumbles into inappropriate online content. Suddenly, the other parent is questioning your judgment, and the court may be asked to take a closer look at your custody arrangement.
The truth is that these situations happen in many families, regardless of whether the parents are together or divorced. Adolescents test boundaries and they make mistakes. What matters most is how you respond as a father when your child gets into trouble. If you are facing increased scrutiny because your child got into trouble, work with a child custody attorney with specific experience working with fathers.
Dating as a Divorced Dad: What To Consider
Stepping back into the dating world after divorce can feel like a high-stakes endeavor, especially when your children’s well-being hangs in the balance. Between juggling school pickups, negotiating weekend visits, and wondering how a new partner will fit into family movie night, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Add in the fear of judgment from friends, family, or even your co-parent, and it can seem safer to stay on the sidelines.
Finding companionship and happiness is possible, and doing it the right way means understanding the legal landscape. A knowledgeable divorce lawyer can help you navigate custody concerns, protect your parenting time, and keep your family’s stability front and center.
How Do I Handle Custody When I Start Dating?
Before inviting a date into your home or scheduling overnight visits, review your custody order and communicate openly with your co-parent. Consider:
Navigating Holidays and Birthdays as a Divorced Dad
For dads who no longer see their children every day after a divorce, holidays and birthdays can be particularly difficult. These milestones often come with traditions, expectations, and heightened emotions for both parents and children.
Whether you are newly divorced or years into the co-parenting arrangement, navigating these special days requires setting realistic expectations, advanced planning, flexibility, and focusing on what really matters: your child’s happiness and well-being.
There are ways for divorced dads to handle holidays and birthdays with grace while reducing co-parent conflicts and creating lasting memories with children. If you have questions pertaining to custody or visitation, speaking to an experienced divorce attorney who can answer all your questions can be extremely beneficial.
Co-parenting and Scheduling for Holidays and Birthdays
If you and your ex-spouse are on good terms following your divorce, planning is much easier than when you barely speak to one another. It is a good idea to take a look at the year ahead, reviewing your parenting plan and holiday schedule. As far as children’s birthdays, if there is any way possible, family therapists usually agree that celebrating birthdays with both parents is generally preferable to splitting them up.
Planning for Summer Visitation as a Single Dad
It can feel overwhelming when you, as a single dad, are planning for the summer visitation time with your children. While it is normal to experience stress and anxiety regarding summer visitation, particularly if you do not have 50/50 custody and do not see your children often, with some planning and preparation, both you and your children can have a summer vacation/visitation that is memorable for all involved.
If you and your ex are on good terms following the divorce, it should be easier to plan for summer visitation than if you barely speak to one another. Whatever your situation, plan to make this summer visitation an experience your children will be reliving and talking about for months and years. If you have questions regarding custody and visitation issues, talk to an experienced divorce attorney who can comprehensively answer your questions and guide you through the process.
Tips for the Best Summer Visitation
There are some things you can do that will help ensure a great time with your children this summer. Most of them are fairly simple and take little time, but they could make the difference between a disaster and an outstanding success. Some of these tips include:
The Five Biggest Challenges for Men During a Divorce
Divorce is challenging for all those involved. While both men and women are treated the same in the eyes of the law, it remains more difficult for men to obtain primary custody of their children. Men are also much less likely to have a social network to help them through a divorce, while women do typically have this type of support. Whether you are a man facing a divorce or one who has made it through the divorce and now has very little clue on how to proceed with your life, it can be helpful to discuss your situation with an experienced divorce attorney who can help you get through the coming months in the best way possible.
Getting Through the Challenges of Divorce
There are many challenges a divorcing man may face, even more if the couple has children. While there may be couples who can have an amicable divorce with no disagreements, these are usually few and far between. The following are the five most common issues men face in divorce.
