When a couple is going through with a divorce or separation they can sometimes lose sight of the needs of their children.
However, for a successful co-parenting situation, both parents need to agree to consider their children’s position and their mental health needs.
In this episode, Justin Sisemore, Andrea Jones, and Mary Maloney discuss the landscape of co-parenting and where some parents go wrong. Justin, Andrea and Mary strive to educate you about what a healthy co-parenting environment looks like and how to keep your kids in mind when navigating this time in your life.
Justin, Andrea, and Mary discuss:
- The importance of healthy co-parenting and what that entails
- The impact of poor co-parenting and how it can impact the child’s growth and development
- How to navigate which parent makes what decisions for the child and how each decision must always put the child’s mental health first
- How to avoid burdening a child with emotional stress during a divorce – the importance of not placing a child in the middle of the separation and making them ‘choose sides’
- And more!
Read the Show Transcript
Child would come. [00:31:00] Mom’s house the next day. And then lawyer B would get a conflicting affidavit that says just the opposite and that right there, in my opinion, should tell you that kids don’t want to be. The fact that a child would sign both affidavits going both directions. It means, Hey, they can be manipulated easily.
And we all know that children are easier to manipulate than older people are because they have less experience. So, and B that, that kid doesn’t want to be there and sign an affidavit doing this. And for you parents out there that think your child wants to testify the court once w like child wants to have his voice heard, or her voice heard.
They may tell you that because that’s, you’re sitting there going well, you’re going to get to tell the court you’re 12 years old. You’re going to get to tell the court and you can tell him, you know, you just make sure you tell him, you tell him, tell him, tell him, let me tell you something, folks that is the dumbest and worst thing you can.
When a child gets in a courtroom. The last thing a judge wants to do is get off the bench and go and talk to a kid [00:32:00] in my opinion. And some judges may differ with this, but I, I th I don’t think that they love this concept. The only thing that the family code allows them to do by the way is state of preference.
Okay. Where do you want to. Well guess what? That doesn’t decide visitation and access that doesn’t decide, you know, the medical rights, all these things that people fight about. Now they can give directives to a court. I said, directors, they can give input to a court on possession and access. I don’t like this summer schedule because I’ve got cheerleading camp or whatever it is but keep in mind.
The courts want the parents in charge and the courts want the parents to be co-parents. And so they’re not going to just say, Hey, little Johnny, you know, you’re 12. Now let me just defer to you in all angles of this all aspects. So the input of the child is important to get you to the. Okay. And obviously if they’re 16, 17 years old, it’s a little bit different.
But as far as the case is concerned, I win cases all the time where a twelve-year-old expresses a preference to go live with that. And Kentucky, because dad’s had him for the summer and bought [00:33:00] him some new toys. I went it all the time. Okay. Or vice versa. There’s alienation going on and you know, it’s best interest and okay.
And preference. And that’s important because best interest is 90%. And, you know, in my opinion, they’re supposed to be kind of joined together, but you’ll be a judge. You can let a 12 year old run your own. You know, they don’t even know what the interest is at that what their best interest is. Again, you have one parent that has rules.
The other one doesn’t of course you want to go with the one that doesn’t have rules because I can be the whatever, again, play all day. Daddy buys a mommy buys me PlayStation, and I don’t have to do any chores. Of course, I prefer that. But is that really good for me in the long run or is it better for me to learn what life is really all about?
I don’t see that as a 12 year old, we all did. At that age. So I totally agree the kids. Yes. Preference. If there’s a bad situation and doesn’t have seen many, but otherwise both parents should be involved. There should be visitation schedule. Both parents need to be involved in raising the kid. They both put them in this world.
Also raise them if they can, [00:34:00] unless there’s other circumstances. And so that’s how it should be. Not the kids. All right. Well, Mary, why don’t you take us home by telling us how people can reach you? This was a fantastic discussion. So if people want to get ahold of attorney Justin Sizemore they can certainly call the office here at (817) 336-4444.
Or check out the [email protected] and we hope everybody has a great day. And thanks so much for calling. And make sure that you follow this podcast. So, you know, when a new show is ready for you and of course, share with others, the insight, maybe what. I’m Patrice Sikora. And let’s talk again later.
Thank you for listening to in your best interest with Texas divorce attorney and entrepreneur, Justin Sizemore, the content presented here has provided for information only and should not be construed as legal tax or financial advice. Click the follow button to be notified when new episodes become available.[00:35:00]
