Frisco Divorce Lawyers

5 Ways a Divorce Can Affect Children

Divorce is a difficult time for everyone, but it can be especially hard on children who are unable to fully understand what is happening. Studies show that when parents divorce, children tend to go through psychological stages similar to those in patients who are diagnosed with a terminal illness. These five main stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Psychological Effects of Divorce

Each family experiences divorce differently, but the following stages are the typical sequence of feelings a child passes through when his or her parents initiate a divorce:

• Denial – children are unable to believe that their parents are separating and continue to believe that the situation will be resolved and that their parents will reunite
• Anger – children often become very angry at their parents, seeing them as letting the marriage fall apart or ruining their future
• Bargaining – in this stage, children may believe that changing their own actions will be able to fix the situation and might begin doing things like working harder at school or doing chores, sometimes believing that the divorce was caused by something they have done
• Depression – during this stage, children can become depressed and may having trouble staying focused at school
• Acceptance – in the acceptance stage, children come to accept that the divorce has happened and in some cases, they accept that divorce was necessary for their parent's wellbeing

While these stages vary for each child, the overall process has been found to be similar. When going through a divorce, it is necessary for the parents and children to participate in healthy communication and understanding in order to handle this difficult time.

Contact Us

One important factor to consider during a divorce is the child custody agreement. Child custody can be a contentious issue, so it is important to have an attorney on your side who is unafraid to stand up for your interests and those of your child. Contact a dedicated Frisco custody attorney of Alexander & Associates at 972-420-6570 today to discuss your case.