Tips for Stay-at-Home Parents Facing Divorce

Divorce can be an uncertain or stressful situation for anyone. After all, many facets of your life from your living arrangements to your finances to your relationship with your children will likely change. While these changes may be difficult for anyone, they can be particularly difficult and stressful for a parent who has decided to stop working to stay home and care for the children and the household.

Being a stay-at-home parent is never easy, as there is a great amount of responsibility involved in constantly caring for small children on a daily basis. In addition, a stay-at-home parent is often tasked with a large percentage of cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other household chores. Such contributions can be extremely valuable for a household, especially if it eliminates the need for costly child care, housekeepers, or other services. In addition, a stay at home parent agrees to put his or her own educational or professional goals on hold for the greater good of the family.

Unfortunately, when it comes time for a divorce, the breadwinner of the family tends to focus on his or her financial contributions and not appreciate the sacrifices the stay-at-home parent has made. Because they have contributed more financially, they often believe they deserve more financially, as well. Luckily, family courts generally take the non-financial contributions of stay-at-home parents into considerations when making determinations regarding alimony and other financial support in a divorce. However, it is always wise for stay at home parents to do the following and more to protect their rights:

• Know your financial situation. Many stay at home parents are less aware of the household finances and it is important to learn about assets, debts, income, expenses, bank accounts, taxes, and more so that you have a clear picture of the household finances and so that you may recognize if your spouse is trying to hide assets.
• Create a plan for your financial future on your own. You will need to estimate how much it will cost you for living expenses, child expenses, debts, and other bills so that you can present an accurate picture of you financial needs to the court.
• Explore your professional opportunities. Following a divorce, the court will expect you to try to support yourself within a reasonable amount of time if it is possible. Consider what type of education, training, or other services you may need in order to successfully reenter the workforce.

Contact a Boca Raton Divorce Attorney as Soon as Possible
There are many issues that can be particularly important in cases involving stay at home parents, especially if they have been out of the workforce for some time. Experienced family law lawyer Alan R. Burton has helped individuals in many situations obtain a favorable result in their divorce case so that they can face the future in the best financial situation possible and able to support themselves. Whether your divorce involves substantial assets or low assets, you should never hesitate to discuss your case with a skilled Boca Raton divorce attorney. Please call our office for free at 954-229-1660 today.