BROOKLYN, New York. Divorce can be hard enough, but add pregnancy to the mix and it can become far more complicated. Couples might choose to get divorced while they are pregnant for many reasons. One partner cheated on the other, both partners realize that the relationship isn’t working and don’t want to raise a child surrounded by constant conflict, or for a range of other reasons that lead to divorce.
In New York, it is legal to get divorced while pregnant. Yet, not all states allow couples to get divorced while pregnant. According to Fit Pregnancy, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and Arkansas does not allow couples to get divorced while pregnant. If a child is on the way, and you plan to get divorced, you and your ex will need to come up with a child custody plan. The law generally favors a co-parenting arrangement in which both parents share a role in parenting and caring for the children. Once your child is born, the non-custodial parent will need to pay child support and will have visitation rights. It is also important to decide whether both parents will share custody or whether one parent will have physical custody. When making child custody decisions, you’ll want to think about what’s best for your child—even if he or she isn’t born. Because you are getting divorced before your child is born, you’ll also want to work with a lawyer who can help you draft a flexible parenting plan that can grow and evolve with your child. What you and your ex will need when it comes to caring for an infant will be very different when your child reaches his or her teen years.
Couples shouldn’t skip important legal and personal steps when divorcing while pregnant. Consider going to couples counseling. Even if your marriage can’t be saved, a counselor can help you work out how you will be co-parents together. You’ll also want to find a qualified Brooklyn, New York divorce lawyer like the Elliot Green Law Offices. Recruit family and friends to help as well. If you’re getting divorced, you’ll want loved ones around who can care for your child when you need a break, especially if you’ll have sole physical custody. Adjusting to a new baby can be hard enough with the support of a partner, and it can be difficult to do it entirely alone. One woman writing for Pop Sugar recounted how, after she was left by her husband while six months pregnant, she worried about how she would deliver her child alone. Yet, she writes that having her best friends with her in the delivery room was one of the best experiences of her life.
If you’re facing a divorce while pregnant, now might be one of the most stressful, challenging, and uncertain times in your life. The Elliot Green Law Offices are Brooklyn, New York family lawyers who can stand by your side every step of the way. Children are happier in happier homes—even if that happens to be two separate homes. If your marriage is over, it’s over—whether or not you are pregnant. We can help.
Elliot Green Law Offices
32 Court Street, Suite 404
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 718-260-8668
Phone: 718-689-0282
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