Long Island Family Law Blog

The process of dissolving a marriage in New York can quickly take an emotional toll on the couple who are going through the marital breakup. However, if they have minor children who will be at the center of a child custody case, the process can also have an impact on them. Parents, though, can do a few things to help their children get through the divorce as emotionally intact as possible.

First off, it may behoove parents to share information about the divorce with the children. Keeping the marital dissolution a secret will only work for so long before the children uncover the reality about their parents' marital situation. Of course, it is important that parents' share information while keeping their children's ages, temperaments and maturity levels in mind.

Many couples in New York have heard by now that half of American marriages reportedly do not last. Research, however, shows that the opposite is, in fact, true. According to a new study, the rate of divorce dropped 18 percent over the eight-year period of 2008 to 2016.

One reason the divorce rate is declining is that women in particular are not rushing to get married today as they did in the past. Instead, they are focused on completing their college education and on moving up in their careers. Then, when they get married, their spouses will already know what their career plans and job schedules are, which might help to reduce conflict concerning these matters.

Navigating a marital breakup can be just as hard financially as it is emotionally. This is the case no matter how long two people have been married or how many or few assets they have to split. Here is a look at how property division is handled during divorce in the state of New York and how individuals can protect themselves financially in the midst of it.

Legislation regarding the division of shared assets in a marriage is different among states. For example, in states known as community property states, divorcing couples' assets are split down the middle. Meanwhile, in an equitable distribution state, marital assets do not have to be divided equally; in other words, one spouse may receive 70 percent of the marital assets, whereas the other spouse receives 30% of the assets based on various factors that the court considers. New York falls under the equitable distribution state umbrella.

Parents who split up have an added worry. Being parents in separate households in New York can be stressful. But there are some ways in which to make co-parenting after divorce manageable and less likely to be rife with angst for both the parents and their children.

Children's emotional well-being is often indicative of their parents' mental health, so it's important for parents to take time to de-stress themselves, so they can move ahead with co-parenting together as individuals. Divorce comes with a bevy of feelings that can include anger, betrayal, sadness, guilt and fear of the unknown. Experts say that it's important for people to allow themselves to feel that range of emotions. Managing these feelings is easier with the support of family and friends.