Denver Colorado Family Law Blog

It's August, which means that back-to-school season is in full swing. It's time to wind down the late nights, relaxed rules and flexibility of the summer and get back into the school-year routines of homework, actual bedtimes and endless soccer practices. As a divorced parent, the familiarity of the season may be a welcome break from the craziness of summer.

Except that this year, it will be different. This year is your child's last year of high school. You may have been able to ignore it for most of the summer, but the reality is finally here: Your child will be leaving the nest soon for college. Most high school seniors apply to college in the fall. Maybe you took the time to visit a few universities last spring break or over the summer. All of this anticipation has probably got you thinking: how are you going to pay for it all?

Accepting that a divorce is inevitable can be a devastating realization. When you think about divorce, you are likely worried that it will be full of anger, resentment, and frustration. What if you could choose an option that minimizes this conflict by the very process itself? 

Many couples choose the Collaborative Law approach to alleviate the fear and anguish that often accompanies divorce. Divorce in the Collaborative process can still be stressful, but Collaborative Law professionals work hard to address common pain points and issues before they become heightened conflict. The Collaborative Law process gives you the greatest amount of control without interference from courts.

Back to school shopping is an annual rite for many that can bring up memories of getting new shoes and clothes as well as school supplies. While stores seem to start putting out their school displays earlier and earlier each year, the first time this is done as a divorced parent can be challenging both emotionally and financially. There are a number of areas that can cause stress, so here are some strategies for gracefully adjusting to your new reality:

• Be smart about cost: Do not try to compensate by overspending. Shop at the end-of-summer or back to school sales. Think ahead and buy in multiple sizes if there is a great deal on shoes, hoodies and other pieces of clothing that they will wear all the time.

That the divorce of their parents often negatively impacts adult children may not be something you often think about, but it is worth considering if divorce is your future. This is especially true with the rise in so-called "gray divorce" - which is a term used for couples divorcing later in life.

While it is true that younger children may be more directly impacted by the day-to-day parenting arrangements and logistics, adult children are just as likely to have emotional stress when their parents are going through a divorce. Not surprisingly, many parents expect that adult children will be more "grown-up" about their reaction to this news. However, for many in this position, the revelation is devastating.