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If you are a mother getting a divorce, you might worry about losing your close relationship with your children or not being able to care for them as you would like without their father’s income. If you interrupted or never started your career in favor of being a full-time caregiver, you might be afraid you will have few resources after a divorce.
A Red Bank mother’s rights lawyer could ensure that the divorce court acknowledges your contributions to your family’s wellbeing during your marriage. A local family attorney could help you develop a parenting plan that preserves your primary caregiver role and provides sufficient child support and other funds to ensure you can be the parent you want to be.
Tennessee Code Annotated §36-4-121 requires couples to divide their marital property equitably. The equitable division statute does not give half of the couple’s property to each spouse, but it requires a split that is fair under the circumstances.
When a mother is a primary caregiver for the children and limits her professional opportunities to perform that role, she deserves compensation when her marriage ends. Unfortunately, men often undervalue the tasks mothers perform in managing children and a household.
A practiced Red Bank mother’s rights attorney could ensure a court is aware of the services the mother performed for her family and their value if the family had to pay someone to perform the same services. A skilled legal professional could also ensure that the mother gets appropriate credit for the opportunities she gave up to care for her family. Attaching a fair value to the mother’s contributions and sacrifices could result in a more generous property division.
When a mother has been financially dependent on her spouse, anticipating life without that income could be terrifying. Tennessee state law allows financially disadvantaged spouses to seek spousal support when a marriage ends.
The court will balance the requesting spouse’s need against the other spouse’s ability to pay. If a higher-earning spouse takes a lower-paying job and the court believes they are trying to avoid paying spousal support, a judge could award alimony based on the income the spouse could or should be earning.
The law states that the goal of alimony is to ensure the receiving spouse’s standard of living does not change significantly after a divorce. Courts also want to ensure that a divorced wage-earner is not enjoying a substantially more comfortable lifestyle than the mother and children. A tenacious mother’s rights lawyer in Red Bank could fight for a spousal support arrangement that allows the mother to devote herself to her children for as long as they need her to be home.
Often, a mother’s biggest worry when going through a divorce is losing her children. When the divorce is especially bitter, spouses might threaten each other with losing access to the children. When the other spouse has significantly more financial resources, a mother might wonder whether she can successfully defend herself from attempts to minimize or mischaracterize her relationships with her children.
The short answer is yes. If necessary, a proactive Red Bank mother’s rights attorney could provide evidence and testimony from relatives, friends, teachers, and others about the mother’s parenting skills and nurturing relationships with her children.
Ideally, the spouses will put their bitterness aside for the sake of their children and negotiate a parenting plan that allows the children to benefit from meaningful contact with both their parents. Parenting classes, mediation, and other resources are available to help parents learn to co-parent effectively after divorce.
Divorce proceedings are stressful, and your anxiety might be high if you fear losing your children or being impoverished. If you postponed or interrupted a career to care for your children, you may be concerned about returning to the workforce.
You can depend on a dedicated Red Bank mother’s rights lawyer to fight for the security you deserve after your divorce. Schedule a consultation today.