Parental Visitation During Holiday Season

Family Law Attorneys Near Me

If the title of this article has any relevance to your current marital condition, chances are you are either considering divorce or have been served with an action and need competent legal representation from a qualified marital and family law attorney. Thousands of married couples go through similar issues every day and that experience can be very unsettling especially if children are involved or a custody battle is being pursued. The overwhelming issue for everyone is that separations and divorce create new, unfamiliar family issues, most of which have never been faced before. Chief among issues facing children is the uncertainty of what the future will bring; home life, who will live with who, school, extracurricular activities, and even social acceptance and friendships. Couple all of that with the holiday season and then trying to decide who shares time with whom and when and where do we meet to exchange children is often difficult. Coordinating everyone’s calendar while taking into consideration extended family commitments that may involve travel can leave mothers and fathers, grandparent and even children feeling worn out and families stretched financially. This can lead to hurt feelings, arguments, and misunderstandings leaving everyone upset. For parents, whose first consideration should be the life of their child, finding common ground and accommodation is what’s important to avoid such hassles. Many times, hurt spouses will use this time to treat the holidays as a competition, to see who can outdo the other in gift-giving, special activities, or things are done out of the ordinary when keeping old routines and normalcy is what is needed most. Creating uncomfortable situations for children, like having to choose between one parent and the other, is a very destructive activity that should be avoided at all costs. But sometimes, if both spouses can put aside their differences long enough to have productive conversations about how to proceed and what is in the best interest of the children, adopting new holiday traditions by each spouse can be constructive and positive. These can differentiate the new lifestyles and experiences each will have with each other going forward and add a sense of stability that everything will be okay. Holiday festivities can take on a new meaning if shared evenly between all parties. These activities will make it easier for children to move on and handle the separation better. Hunter Malin, Heekin Law, P.A.’s chief family law attorney suggests that no matter how disappointed one parent might be with the other, that should never adversely affect the children’s relationship. Having adult conversations about the divorce needs to be between the adults and not involve children as much as possible. Putting children first is paramount to avoid negatively affecting them and in some cases doing irreputable damage psychologically. Hunter also understands that parents are vulnerable psychologically too. Having to change one’s life because of a divorce is a very difficult event, paved with doubt and uncertainty. Many find not having primary custody of their child or children is very difficult to cope with. But putting the children’s welfare first means enjoying every minute of the time you will spend together and never take for granted that they will not equally value it also. Having a schedule and consistently sticking to it, avoiding last-minute changes, will help children adapt. Children thrive off of consistency, which means they can plan their activities accordingly and know their mothers or fathers will be there when they need them most. The holidays should always remain a source of enjoyment even for families going through a separation or divorce. It is an important time of the year and should remain so for years to come.

Why Should You Consider Retaining Hunter Malin?

Knowledgeable family law attorneys in Jacksonville fl understand that it takes judgment and experience to uncover all of the aspects and relative facts involved in a divorce case. It also takes understanding to appreciate what family member is going through when mothers and fathers, husband and wives decide to call it quits especially if children are involved. Having a compassionate attorney as well as one who is well-versed in family law and aggressive when they need to be, are the most important features when choosing an attorney. Hunter Malin of Heekin Law, P.A. is one such lawyer. Compassionate, understanding and supportive, but whose primary goal is to protect his client’s legal rights and future. If you are in need of a competent and successful attorney to represent your interests in any marital and family law matter including divorce: contested or uncontested, child custody, child support, modification of a judgment, alimony, paternity, father’s right and more,  give Hunter a call.   

Most legal outcomes can be managed by the right attorney, asking the right questions and uncovering the truth about the facts in your case. Preserving and protecting your rights and that of your children is Hunter’s first legal consideration. Our consultations are always free. Call Hunter at Heekin Law, P.A. at 904-355-7000.