How to Tell Your Children About Your Separation or Divorce Successfully in Ontario!

How to Tell Your Children About Your Separation or Divorce Successfully in Ontario!

How do you tell your children you’re getting separated or divorced?

That’s a really tough one!

Hi, my name is Thomas O’Malley.  I’m an experienced family lawyer in Durham Region and the GTA.

Your children most likely already sense that there is something wrong between you and your spouse.

Here are some important ways that can really help to tell your children about your separation or divorce successfully:

1.     Figure Out a Parenting Plan First

You must have some detailed discussions with your spouse about a parenting plan for your children so that you can tell this parenting plan to your children when you discuss the fact you and your spouse are getting separated with them.

You need to provide reassurance to your children that you are reducing the changes in their lives as much as possible.  You minimize these changes with an effective parenting plan.

You need to decide the parenting time for each spouse with your children.  In many situations today, each parent has their children for fifty per cent of the time. 

This often means a schedule in which one parent has the children for one week and the other parent has the children for the following week on a rotating basis. 

Make sure your children continue to go to the same school if you can.  This provides stability in their lives.

2.    Both Parents Should Tell Your Children Together

You and your spouse need to tell your children together that you are getting separated. 

Plan in advance with your spouse that you will both be calm and stay calm when you tell your children about the separation or divorce.

You and your spouse need to reassure your children that you love them and that you will make sure that you will continue to do what’s in their best interest.

Tell them about your parenting plan so that your children have some security that their world is not completely turned upside down.

The key is to reassure your children that you and your spouse will continue to support your children despite your separation.

I will discuss some key strategies on how to tell your children about your separation or divorce in another video.

If you have any questions about your separation, divorce or family law case and you would like our help, there’s a few ways to contact our office.  You can leave a message on my Facebook law office page, visit my website at www.canadiandivorcelegaladvice.com, or call me directly at 905-434-8837. 

We would be happy to speak to you.

Oh, by the way, did you know you can protect your family law rights and get essential information on settling your family law issues with your former spouse with the daily indispensable family law advice and tips at my FREE Facebook group? 

Click here to find out more: Durham Region Separation and Divorce Legal Support Group  

Thanks for watching this video.