Recent Blog Posts
Dealing With Seasonal Depression as a Divorced Father
People may experience increased levels of depression during certain times of the year, and this can sometimes be a concerning issue for fathers who have gone through divorce and are struggling to adjust to the changes in their lives. In fact, this is such a frequent issue that it has a name: seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. This type of depression often occurs during the winter months when people experience less sunlight, they are stuck indoors due to cold weather, and they have fewer opportunities to participate in activities they enjoy.
While SAD can impact anyone, men are often affected, especially when they need to get up before dawn and work throughout the day, not going home until after sunset. Men who suffer from this condition may experience symptoms such as a lack of energy, sleeping more than usual, feelings of sadness, increased levels of irritability, weight gain, and social withdrawal.
For divorced fathers who are already navigating the challenges of co-parenting and who may have experienced emotional issues related to divorce, coping with seasonal depression can add an extra layer of difficulty. If you are in this situation, it is important to prioritize your mental health so that you can be the parent your kids need. Here are some strategies that may help.
8 Tips for Surviving the Holidays as a Divorced Dad
For many people, the holiday season is a time that is filled with joy and love. Family gatherings can help solidify bonds between loved ones, and people can demonstrate their appreciation for each other by giving gifts. However, if you are a divorced dad, the holidays can sometimes be a period of sadness and loneliness, and you may face a variety of emotional challenges. To make sure you can get the most out of the holidays, here are some tips to help you navigate the season successfully:
1. Plan Ahead
It is a good idea to plan your holiday visitation schedule well in advance to avoid any last-minute stress or confusion. Discuss the dates and times of celebrations with your ex-spouse and determine when your children will be staying with each parent during winter breaks from school. This will ensure that everyone knows where your children will be during each holiday event.
How Can Infidelity Affect a Divorce?
Getting a divorce is rarely an easy process, especially for dads who need to address child custody issues. However, infidelity can make matters even more complicated, and it can lead to disputes that may be difficult to resolve. When one spouse has engaged in a sexual or emotional relationship with someone outside of the marriage, this is likely to be one of the top reasons why the marriage is ending. Infidelity can not only lead to significant emotional pain, feelings of betrayal, and contentious arguments, but it may also affect divorce proceedings. In these situations, it is important to understand the legal implications that infidelity may have for dads who are going through divorce.
When Infidelity May Be Addressed During the Divorce Process
Infidelity is an emotional issue that can be very important to spouses who are going through a divorce. However, it may not necessarily be addressed during legal divorce proceedings. Even though it can be difficult to set aside emotions when approaching this issue, doing so may be necessary to ensure that a divorce can be completed successfully. A spouse’s adultery or cheating behavior could potentially affect a divorce in the following ways:
7 Financial Planning Tips for Men Considering Divorce
Divorce is not easy, and husbands or fathers who go through this experience will often struggle to make changes in their lives and make sure they are making good financial choices. The emotional aspects of ending a marriage can make it difficult to properly consider the long-term impact of the choices made during the divorce process. However, it is important to approach this process correctly, and men can take steps to protect their financial interests and set themselves up for success in the next chapter of their lives. As you prepare for divorce, you will want to follow these tips for addressing financial issues:
Gather All Financial Documents
It is essential to compile all relevant financial information that may affect the decisions made during the divorce process. These documents may include bank statements, tax returns, investment account statements, mortgage documents, credit card bills, and any other records related to your assets and liabilities. Having this information readily available will help you understand your current financial situation so that you can make decisions about the division of marital property and other divorce-related issues.
Can Men Receive Alimony After Getting Divorced?
When it comes to divorce proceedings, there is often a misconception that only women are eligible to receive alimony or spousal support. However, this is not the case. In recent years, as gender roles continue to evolve and change in our society, more men have started seeking alimony after getting divorced.
Understanding Alimony
When addressing issues related to alimony, it is essential to first understand the purpose of this form of support. Financial support paid by one spouse to the other following a divorce or separation is meant to alleviate any economic disparities between spouses caused by the end of their marriage.
In most cases, alimony payments are made by the higher-earning spouse to the lower-earning spouse so that both parties can maintain similar standards of living post-divorce. This is meant to ensure fairness and provide the financially dependent spouse with enough time and support to become self-sufficient.
6 Ways Dads Can Help Children Get Through the Divorce Process
The divorce process can be difficult, and it can be especially hard on children. When parents split up, children’s lives can be upended. Children may experience stress and other emotional issues when they are exposed to tension and conflict in the home. As parents begin to separate from each other, children are likely to be unsure about what will happen in the future, where they will live, whether they will still be able to see family members, how their school activities and friendships will be affected, and how other parts of their lives will be affected.
As a dad going through a divorce, you may feel overwhelmed by all the issues you need to address. However, even though you may be focusing on the legal and financial aspects of your divorce, it is also important to prioritize your children's well-being and provide them with the support they need. Here are some ways you can help your children get through the divorce process:
When Can Dads Modify Child Support Payments After Getting Divorced?
During a divorce, child support is one of the most critical issues that will need to be resolved. Ongoing support payments will help secure children’s well-being and financial stability after parents are no longer together. However, as circumstances can change over time, it may become necessary for dads to modify their child support obligations. By understanding what steps to take to request these modifications, fathers can protect their financial interests while ensuring their children’s needs will be met.
Filing a Child Support Modification Request
If a dad wants to modify his child support payments after getting divorced, he will typically need to file a request with the family court where the divorce was originally completed. The requirements that will need to be met can vary depending on state law, but in most cases, there must have been a significant change in circumstances since the initial determination of child support or since the last time child support orders were modified.
How Does Divorce Impact Men?
There is no doubt that going through a divorce is a life-altering event that can have a significant impact on both men and women. While there are many resources that discuss the difficulties that women go through, there have historically been fewer resources for men. However, men will face many of the same emotional and financial concerns, and they may feel that they have less support from others. If you are going through a divorce, the following are some of the difficulties that you may be dealing with as you work to end your marriage and move forward into the next stage of your life:
Emotional Impact
Even if you are the spouse that wanted the divorce and filed a petition to dissolve your marriage, the end of a relationship that you once thought would be permanent can cause you to experience waves of intense emotions. It is not uncommon to deal with feelings of anger, betrayal, grief, and sadness. You may experience a sense of loss as you process the emotional challenges that come with ending your marriage. You may also need to deal with stress related to major changes in your life, and you may face trepidation as you consider an uncertain future.
What Are Some of the Concerns Faced by Single Fathers?
Single fathers face a unique set of challenges and concerns that can significantly impact their lives and their ability to raise their children effectively. As society evolves and traditional gender roles are redefined, more men are taking on the role of primary caregivers, either by choice or due to circumstances such as divorce, separation, or the death of a partner. The following are some of the concerns commonly faced by single fathers. If you have more specific concerns regarding fathers’ rights and parenting, contact Dad's Divorce.
Emotional Support
Single fathers may experience feelings of isolation and loneliness. The lack of a partner to share the emotional burden and provide support can be overwhelming. It is essential for single dads to seek emotional support through friends, family, or support groups specifically designed for single parents.
How Dads and Kids Alike Can Benefit from Virtual Visitation
In recent years, the term “visitation” has largely been replaced with the term “parenting time.” This is due, in no small part, because the concept of visitation is almost always misleading and vaguely insulting to hard-working parents who are invested in their children’s well-being. Simply because a parent does not get to reside with their child as often as their co-parent might does not mean that their relationship with their child has been reduced to visitor status. Countless adults who cannot be with their children every day are stellar parents, both when they are face-to-face with their children and when they are not.
Yet, there is one beneficial area of the American co-parenting experience that has been labeled as a form of “visitation” in a way that is not degrading. Likely because the alliteration of the term makes it easy to remember, the concept of “virtual visitation” is proving to be beneficial for millions of families across the country.
