Written by: HHLaw (View All Posts
) Published: April 14, 2020
Categorized: Children's Issues, Family Law.
Tags: family law.
Blended Family Issues
Blended families are nothing out of the ordinary these days. Yet there are still some issues when it comes to two families coming together in British Columbia. Step families can be a hard adjustment for children, but family law offers some tools for parents to do what’s in the best interests of their children and that includes helping them to adjust to becoming a part of a blended family.
Statistics show that 45% of people who marry have been at the altar before and more than half of those people are parents. That means that millions of children are part of blended families. A blended family should be looked upon as not something entirely new, but as something different. Children will always have two parents and erasing the life that was before can never be entirely successful. Issues that can affect children in these situations include starting new schools, finances, feelings of loss, adjusting to other children in their new family, and a lack of attentiveness.
There are certain things parents and stepparents can do to make the transition easier for children like letting them know they won’t be abandoned. Communication is essential to help children adjust to a new situation. Experts say it takes kids between two and five years to adjust to a blended family.
Experienced Legal Advice
An experienced family lawyer might be able to help a British Columbia parent who is divorced to do what’s in the best interests of his or her children. A lawyer may be able to help with things like fashioning a co-parenting plan or help to iron out details regarding custody and support. Becoming a part of a step family isn’t easy, and the more tools parents have, the easier it might be for their children.
