It is the beginning of a new year.  For each new year comes our best intentions in the form of New Year's resolutions.  Among those resolutions are the ones that deal with self-care and self-help.

            This is a busy, hurly-burly world where parents have increasing demands and pressures placed upon them.  Those pressures increase when you are going through a divorce.  The Verywell Family magazine recently provided a number of ways in which parents may reinvigorate and refresh themselves.  They include:

Whether you are going through a divorce or are divorced, the holidays often present a daunting challenge.  The most difficult part for parents is often finding a balance for their children.  Some couples can co-parent easily, while others seem to fail dismally. 

Will the Florida Legislature pass 50/50 time-sharing/visitation?  Many individuals (including a number of experienced family law attorneys) erroneously believe that Florida law provides for 50/50 timesharing/visitation of a divorcing couple's children.  That belief is not correct.  Currently, Florida Statute 61.13 provides that the trial court may award 50/50 timesharing to a divorcing couple, if the trial judge finds that such a timesharing/visitation schedule is in the minor child's best interest.  Many family court judges in Florida start with this presumption.  However, it is not required by statute. At the same time, many other family law judges do not.

The holidays are a daunting time for anyone, particularly when you’re newly separated or divorced and your children are on a new visiting schedule that never existed before. 

My wife, Karen, and I have had the pleasure of raising two daughters.  When they were younger, it was easy to have them dress up in costumes on Halloween and take them out in the neighborhood to go trick-or-treating.  But as they grew older (generally between the ages of 12 and 15) going trick-or-treating was no longer "cool" or the thing to do.  Generally, about this age is when tweens and teens no longer want to go house to house gathering candy but, want to spend time engaging in activities with their peers. Parents want to make sure that our children are safe while spending time with their friends.  Often the best way to do so is to sponsor a party at your house.  By doing so, you can ensure their safety by monitoring their activity, therefore giving you piece of mind.   Among the activities suggested are Halloween/Harvest Festivals:

The overwhelming majority of divorces result in parties agreeing to shared parental decision-making subsequent to their divorce.  Shared parental decision-making is defined as parents discussing and agreeing upon major issues in their children's lives including, but not limited to education, non‑emergency healthcare (for example orthodontics/braces), and extracurricular activities which would occur on both parents' (both parents' timesharing/visitation).

It is summertime and the last thing our kids want to think about is schoolwork. Most of our children deserve a rest or break from regular school assignments and projects.

Don't let your ex-spouse prevent you from obtaining your child's passport. During the spring, most parents start thinking about summer vacation with their children. It is becoming more and more common for children to have passports. Some families routinely travel overseas on vacations or have other family members who live abroad.

Going through any type of divorce is traumatic. But going through a divorce with children is even more exponentially nerve racking and carries with it its own set of issues. Major issues in parenting during and after a divorce, occur around decision-making and timesharing (visitation) or contacts scheduled with your children. Among the timesharing issues are holidays.

Halloween is a very exciting event. Show me one person who doesn't love dressing up and getting free candy. Most people at least like one or both of these options. Children and, in particular young children, really enjoy Halloween.They get to dress up, pretend to be something that they are not and get treats for doing so. So don't let a rocky marriage or divorce ruin the Halloween experience for your children.

From a legal perspective, parents are not required to have a lawyer for Florida child timesharing (visitation) matters. However, there are advantages to utilizing a board certified family law attorney when dealing with these issues.

Kids in South Florida have now returned to school and it's time to face the music.  If you're separated, in the middle of a divorce, or are already divorced, you may not care very much for co-parenting with your ex-spouse.  However, you know that your children need you to put aside your animosity in order to make their school year a success.

As local parents ourselves in the West Palm Beach area, we understand that parenting children is never easy. Problems of parenthood are compounded when you add the stress and emotional upset of a divorce or separation. Nevertheless, there are a number of steps that you can take to make sure that your children hear your instructions and will be more likely to follow them the first time you speak them to them. Those suggestions include:

This is the period of time in your child’s life where they want to spend more time with their peers than with you; they are asserting their independence and attempt to push away from any interactions with their parents; and sometimes they’re just plain ornery. Nevertheless, here are some suggested activities that you can offer to your teen, which will promote your older child’s continued interaction with their family and a better relationship with you. 

In bitter divorces, the struggle for timesharing/custody can often turn ugly. When arming yourself for these potentially contentious battles in divorce, there are a number of things you can do to improve your chances of success on the battlefield. 

You’re checking off all the items necessary to create an unforgettable vacation for you and your children. While this trip provides you the opportunity to create new memories post-divorce, it is important that the divorce itself is still part of your planning consideration. 

Your timesharing, or child custody/visitation order may have specific guidelines and details related to what you can and cannot do when traveling with your children. Understanding these in advance will help you plan and enjoy a stress-free trip. Also, how you communicate with your ex-spouse regarding the vacation may have an impact on your ongoing post-divorce relationship. 

So before you throw sunscreen in a bag and run out the door, consider these three items related to traveling with kids after divorce:  

Many people commence a divorce or paternity case with the impression that 50/50 timesharing/visitation automatically is in the best interest of their child. However, this premise does not take into account that each family is unique and has its own individual dynamics and circumstances.

Children show the best adjustment in divorce or paternity cases where there is a cooperative co‑parenting, shared responsibility (shared decision-making) and limited conflict between the parents.

Making your child’s birthday a special day for them can be challenging when you are a divorced parent. Thinking ahead and doing some strategic planning often helps couples get through the situation without sacrificing their child’s happiness.

The end-of-the year holidays are upon us again. Many parents will be anticipating the return of their college students. The young child that had left some months ago is now returning home as a young adult transformed by their experiences in college.

 Today, our children seem to be on the go all the time. School is more demanding, extracurricular activities and friends are consuming most of their remaining time. What little is left seems to be devoted to looking at cellphones, tablets, or other forms of digital devices. There seems to be little time or space in which we, as parents, can cultivate the concepts of gratitude or thankfulness in our children.

As parents, we know that we love our children dearly. Another truism we also know is that our children attempt to manipulate us almost as soon as they can begin forming any type of thoughts in their minds. Teenagers are probably masters in these behaviors. Consequently, it is not unusual to find that the most frequent fight in households (whether they are an intact, single parent or divorced parent household) involve getting your teen to clean and do their chores.

October 31 (Halloween) comes on Saturday this year. Consequently, with no school scheduled the next day, children of all ages will be trick or treating. Whether you are divorced or are going through a divorce, you may be wondering, should I even celebrate Halloween? Well, here are a few reasons for you to consider:

Whether we are single or divorced, we all lead busy lives. When we reunite with our children at the end of each workday, we are tired and so are our children. Consequently, it's easy to lapse into the traditional adult question: "How was your day?" It's not unusual to hear responses such as: "Okay", "boring", "all right". And as children become teenagers, it may not be unusual to receive some kind of primitive grunt.

Whether you are a separated or divorced parent, your children are going to spend time in your home during timesharing/visitation. Involved parents want to remain involved in their children's school and schoolwork.

Whether you're married or single, living in Jupiter or Wellington, there are still a lot of fun, interesting and inspiring things to do with your children that cost very little and oftentimes absolutely nothing. 

When you have children, divorce is the end of the marriage, but is not the end of your relationship with your ex-spouse. You will always be connected as parents of your children. The post-divorce period requires parents to develop new, sometimes untraditional, ways to relate and communicate with one another for the health and happiness of those children.

Parent-Teacher conferences give parents important insight into not only how their child is performing academically and what they should be working on at home, but also what, if any, behavioral issues may be arising. When these conferences occur during or after a divorce, other challenging factors come into play. Divorcing parents should take steps to prevent conflict and undue harm for their child.

The hot days of summer are upon us. Summer vacations are hectic for all families. However, summer vacations are even more challenging when you are dealing with two separate sets of households, two separate sets of schedules, and dealing with the heat of summer. The following are some summer vacation survival co-parenting tips for separated or divorced parents:

When school is out for the summer our children tend to concentrate on having fun. This several weeks break from learning often has a negative impact on students' retention of what they've learned previously. To prevent this summer slide we, as parents. should provide our children with enrichment activities that will keep our kids engaged all summer long. Janell Cox has provided a few creative ways in which parents can help prevent the "summer brain drain":

Whether you live in Wellington or Jupiter, we all know families who have gone through a divorce. One of the most difficult things for parents to do after they are divorced is figuring out how to interact when co-parenting their children. Frequently, the resentment and misunderstandings that occur after a divorce are the result of a parent’s lack of proper communication. Parents should learn to treat their relationship with their ex-spouse as a business relationship.

As parents we all know that traveling with our children during the summer is an often rewarding, although sometimes stressful endeavor. Summer travel can involve going to visit grandma within the State of Florida or can also involve travel outside of the country. If you've been divorced and you're planning to travel with your children this summer, make sure that you follow the following steps:

As a parent of a modern child or teenager, you know it's not easy for children growing up in today's media-saturated world. Although children are involved in school, friends, and activities, today's kids are never far from their cell phones, computers, TVs, tablets, or video game consoles. That can add to a lot of distractions and interference to shared family time. 

Although Florida has statutes dealing with grandparent guardianship and grandparent visitation, those statutes have been declared to be unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court. Consequently, many grandparents in Florida are often discouraged from attempting to obtain full-time care of their grandchildren, even when their grandchildren are suffering under dire circumstances. However, experienced attorneys from Jupiter to Wellington and throughout Palm Beach County know that there are - under limited circumstances - grandparents in Florida who can obtain guardianship and/or timesharing/visitation with their grandchildren.

Home for the holidays can be challenging for a family who is separated, is going through a divorce or has recently finalized one. The hardest part for parents can be finding a co-parenting balance for their children.

Divorce attorneys in throughout South Florida are often confronted with the issue of what to do with children’s passports after a couple's marriage ends. There are many issues to consider when obtaining a child’s passport after a divorce. 

Divorce attorneys understand that young children are using social networking sites to communicate with others. Several social networking sites attract pre-teens, sometimes as young as 5 or 6. These sites don’t allow the same types of communication that adults have, but parents should still be wary of these websites and help their children socialize safely online.

Although the divorce rate for couples under 50 has slowly decreased in the last 10 years, divorces are still occurring in many families. Children are most affected by the turmoil of a disintegrating marriage. They often have not acquired the emotional and developmental tools needed to effectively deal with turmoil and grief. Researchers continue, however, to find new ways to help children through challenges like this.

Experienced family law attorneys from Jupiter to Wellington know that getting divorced brings a multitude of unknowns which can lead to a time filled with raw emotions, deep grief and out of control feelings. When this situation presents itself, whether the split was wanted or not, behaviors can sometimes get out of hand during divorce. The Chicago Tribune offered an article by Jen Weigel that features practical tips on behaviors to help your children through this difficult time.

Whether you live in Jupiter or in Wellington, you are aware that the Florida legislature is currently debating whether 50-50 timesharing should presumably occur in all divorces. We all want to be fair. We all want to be involved in our children’s lives. However, there appears to be no psychological research that supports the proposition that equal timesharing is best for all children.

At some point, when pondering divorce, parents worry about how child custody/timesharing arrangements will get decided. The laws regarding child custody/timesharing focus on the rights and best interest of children. That means under reasonable circumstances, divorcing parents in Jupiter, Delray or Wellington can expect to receive plenty of quality time with their kids.

Palm Beach County residents may have heard of one of the most recent divorcing issues upon which the media has been commenting. Audiences from Boca Raton to Jupiter are following the bitter divorce battle regarding the religious education of a child. 

The recent legalization of marijuana for medical purposes answered the demands of some liberal activists across the country. While legalized marijuana use for medicinal purposes is currently not legal in Palm Beach County and elsewhere in Florida, many are pushing for strong reform of the current policies. 

Experienced divorce attorneys in Wellington, Jupiter, and other areas of Palm Beach County know that among the most contested issues in a divorce case revolves around custody (or majority time sharing as it is currently known in Florida). 

We live in a mobile society. As a result, many divorced or separated parents are often located in different communities, counties, or states. Finding a location to meet to exchange the children for Florida child visitation/contact with each parent under such circumstances can be challenging.

We are a society of working parents. In the majority of households, both parents are working either full time or part time. During this economic recession, couples are doing everything they can to remain employed, including working longer hours and taking few holiday vacations. 

A Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge ruled recently that Florida's 30-year-old ban on same-sex adoptions is unconstitutional. In doing so, the Florida juvenile division jurist permitted a North Miami man to adopt two foster children, whom he and his male partner have been raising since 2004.

Custody claims in highly contested divorces revolve around who is the better parent. Involved, knowledgeable, and caring parenting is the "Holy Grail" of such quest. Children and their computer use is a subject of review, vigilance, and concern for parents, involved or not involved in a divorce.