Whether you’re adopting a kid out of the foster system or your spouse’s child, becoming the parent of a teenager comes with its challenges. You’re raising them during a pivotal time in their life and your actions can affect them for years to come. Making mistakes is to be expected when preparing a teenager for adulthood. By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your adopted child will triumph during this transitional period.
4 tips for parents when adopting an older child
Tax season issues related to child custody
It’s mid tax season. Early birds have already filed their taxes for 2017, while late risers have yet to get to the chore. One of the reasons that some Oklahoma residents haven’t filed yet may be that they have a complicated financial situation.
Parents who have recently divorced may especially have a few problems with tax time. Namely, they have to communicate about which parent can claim their child as a dependent. This problem can easily lead to the same kind of drama you thought ended with the divorce agreement.
Link between PTSD and domestic violence
Returning service members who have experienced traumatic events while deployed are often later diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). People with PTSD are triggered by the event to experience a high-level of stress that won’t go away. It can cause anything from flashbacks to chronic anxiety.
Service members returning home must re-enter everyday life. Not all of them are successful in letting go of the stress of their deployment. According to experts, the trauma returns with symptoms of paranoia, heightened jitteriness, and a sense that people are out to get them.
Can we change our custody schedule after the divorce is final?
Question: My husband and I divorced a few years ago. At the time, I was back in school and I had primary custody of my kids. Now that I am entering the workforce, I’d like to think about doing a 50/50 custody split. I think it would benefit both me and the kids. Can we do that, or do we have to stick with what’s in the divorce decree?
Answer: It’s important to remember that no divorce decree is ever final. Too many changes occur between the time a couple divorces and the time their child or children reach the age of majority. Whether it’s a new job schedule that means changing parenting time, or a change in income that requires a child support adjustment, most people eventually modify their first order.
Divorce: how can you uncover hidden assets?
Divorce is complicated when you have all the facts, but it is even more complicated when you do not. Your spouse may have taken care of the finances throughout the marriage, and now you may not feel confident that you know key facts necessary for an equitable divorce. Adding to the confusion, some spouses try to hide assets during divorce proceedings. How can you know whether or not your spouse is honestly presenting you with all of your assets?
Custody for deployed military personnel takes planning
Military personnel and their families face many unique challenges. While a parent going into harm’s way to serve their country can lead to the ultimate sacrifice, the children and other parent (even when they are divorced) must make sacrifices and adjustments as well, particularly when the custodial parent is deployed.
It’s advisable and common that military families have a family care plan in place that is filed with the service branch of the Department of Defense. The children will reside with their other parent unless the other parent isn’t themselves deployed, has waived his/her rights to custody or has been deemed unfit to be a guardian by the courts. Grandparents, extended family or friends can be guardians, but this arrangement should be discussed with the other parent.
