Are You Divorced or Separated? Whether or not you’re officially divorced and/or separated from your spouse will determine how you file your taxes. You and your spouse may be able to file jointly if you’re still married by the end of the year. However, if you and your spouse have…
Watch Out for Highlight Reels Everybody Fights Most people in happy marriages don’t record their fights and post them online for the world to see and draw conclusions. In fact, most of them don’t even tell their close friends about their fights. While you might see your friends happy marriages…
Do You Have to Follow the Divorce Decree? What Is the Divorce Decree? A divorce decree is an order from the court that outlines the terms of your divorce. When you sign your divorce documents, it’s like signing a contract: my ex gets this, I will see the children…
What Does Your Decree Say? If your decree does not address this issue—and there’s a good chance that it doesn’t—you are likely free to talk about politics around your children. However, if you’re not divorced yet, you could probably get that put into your decree if you foresee it causing…
Are Children Involved? If you and your spouse do not have children together, there is no reason to maintain contact with each other. There are no laws prohibiting it, and if you want to re-connect with your spouse, you’re certainly welcome to. However, if you don’t have any children, and…
What Happens When an Absent Parent Returns? Do You Have to Give them Parent-Time? If your ex shows up after five years of being absent, and your five-year-old has had no meaningful relationship with them, do you have to allow them to have parent time? The answer may surprise you,…
Do I Have to Be Involved with My Kids? The Short Answer: No No, you do not have to be involved in your child’s life, even if you have been proven to be the biological parent via DNA test. There is a difference between a person who’s not involved in…
Who Makes the Rules about Parental Controls What Does Your Custody Order (Decree) Say? When it comes to disputes that you and your ex cannot reach an agreement upon, you’ll need to get out your divorce decree and look over that. In the case where two parents cannot decide upon…
What Is Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor? The Basic Definition In simple terms, contributing to delinquency of a minor is a criminal charge that’s filed when a parent (or parents) allows or encourages their child to engage in an illegal activity. For example, if you purchase alcohol for your…
How Long Can You Leave a Child Alone For? Where Do You Live? Some states do have laws about how old your child has to be before they can legally be left home alone. While other states do not have a set age limit, you could still get in trouble…
How to Survive and Thrive When Your Marriage Ends