What To Consider When A Divorce Involves A Special Needs Child
Facing a divorce can be difficult, but it can also be downright expensive. But there’s another challenge you could face during a divorce: navigating one that involves a child with special needs. Financial considerations would be even more overwhelming as you must consider your special child’s other needs.
What do we need to consider during our divorce?
Focusing on the divorce may feel overwhelming, considering the whole family is involved, but add in your special needs child, and you have a lot more to process. Aside from the usual things to take on like parental planning, child support and custody, division of marital assets, alimony, and divorce costs, there are additional factors like:
- Splitting the household: If you have more than one child and your ex-spouse is financially stable, the older children may choose to live with one of you, which can strain the siblings’ relationship.
- A substantially lower overall income: Having two sources of revenue to sustain a household is the best situation when you have a special child. However, that income will split after the divorce, and each new household must sustain itself separately.
- Needing a caretaker when the custodial parent is at work: This requirement will entail additional costs for both parents.
- Long-term planning: You may consider setting aside a special needs trust for your child after they turn 18.
Divorce that involves a special needs child can indeed take on a heavier financial toll. However difficult it may be, the most important thing to remember is to have good legal support that can assist you in making the best decisions regarding the divorce.