Third in the Top Ten Things To Know When Contemplating Divorce

3. Protect the Children:

Beyond any other consideration, the children come first. They should not suffer needlessly due to your (or your spouse’s) decision to divorce. Here are some of the more common admonitions with regard to children and divorce:

• Once you’ve decided to divorce, try to speak to your children together and show them a united front so that they can see that, although you and your spouse cannot live together any longer, they still have a mother and father who love and care for them and can work together in their best interests;
• Do not use the children as pawns;
• Do not view your children as spoils of your divorce litigation;
• Do not enlist your children as couriers or messengers;
• Do not act out in the presence of the children;
• Do not bad mouth your spouse to the children;
• Do not discuss spousal disputes with the children;
• Do not interrogate the children about your spouse.