Tips for Divorce With a Blended Family

 Posted on December 24, 2024 in Divorce

When you are part of a blended family, getting divorced brings special challenges. Although there are children involved, some or all of them are not children of the marriage. If you or your spouse already had a child with someone else when you got married, you will not need to create a child custody plan for that child. Step-parents cannot compete for custody outside of very specific circumstances, such as when both of a child’s parents have passed away. However, during the time you were married, you likely both bonded with each other’s children. If you have a child with your current spouse, she may have bonded with her step-siblings. You can be left with a very complicated family situation going forward. An experienced Kane County, IL divorce attorney can help you create a plan and get any court orders you may need going forward.

Maintaining Half-Sibling Relationships 

Especially if your children were very little when you got married, and you have been married for a while, your children might have formed a close bond with your spouse’s children. If you and your spouse have children both separately and together, your separate children have a shared half-sibling that child custody arrangements will need to be made for. Unfortunately, this does mean that your shared child cannot be with all her siblings all the time.

When you start to work on your parenting plan for your shared child, it is important to consider the child’s relationships with his or her half-siblings. Is she closer in age to one set of half-siblings? Are any of her half-siblings potentially harmful to her? Is there one sibling she is especially close to? These are the kinds of questions you will need to consider. You may also need to coordinate parenting time schedules to ensure that the times your child is with you coincide with the times your older children are also with you if the goal is to facilitate a sibling relationship. This can be logistically difficult.

Divorce With Only Separate Children 

If you do not have children in common with your current spouse, your children may still have become attached to their step-siblings. Breaking up a family unit can be emotionally challenging for children. You and your spouse may want to consider making an informal arrangement that will allow your children to continue seeing each other for play dates. If your children are teenagers, it is very possible that they will remain close on their own. Keeping your divorce as low-conflict as possible may benefit them.

Contact a Batavia, IL Divorce Attorney

Van Larson Law, P.C. is dedicated to helping people with blended families get divorced. Our experienced Kane County, IL divorce lawyers will strive to help you facilitate important sibling relationships. Contact us at 630-879-9090 for a complimentary consultation.