Divorce Matters Attorney Kathlyn Laraway on Channel 7!
Divorce Matters attorney Kathlyn Laraway sits down with Mile High Living to discuss to what kinds of things parents run into their first holiday season post-divorce.
Coping With Divorce Through The Holidays
For most people, the holidays evoke thoughts of family togetherness. This can be hard if you’re experiencing your first holiday since your divorce. You won’t have a partner in the home, and the children may be spending time with the other parent. This means you might be spending the holidays alone.

This can seem depressing, but it doesn’t have to be that way. After a divorce, you no longer have to follow previous family traditions. Feel free to be flexible and create your own. Focus on your happiness this holiday season and you’ll look forward to the holidays every year.

Be Patient
Things may not go as planned during your first holiday as a single parent. Emotions may be still running high. You may be fighting over custody with the other parent. Don’t get overwhelmed. Get rid of the pressure involved with the holidays and go easy on yourself. Trust that things will get better as time goes on.

Be Flexible
Don’t feel like you need to be set in your ways. Christmas doesn’t have to occur on December 25. If the other parent insists on having the kids for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it’s not the end of the world. You can celebrate with the kids before or after. As an added bonus, your kids will get two Christmases, which to them might seem like a positive.

Be Cooperative
Be amicable toward the other parent for the sake of your children. Fighting during the holidays only adds more stress to the situation. Push your negative feelings aside and make the holidays a wonderful time of year for the kids. Find a way to compromise and work things out.

Don’t Feel Isolated
Many people want to help loved ones during the holidays, so you’ll likely get invitations to spend holidays with friends, neighbors and loved ones. Take advantage of the opportunity to get out of the house and spend time with others. It will keep you busy and get your mind off the divorce and your emotions.

Help Others
Volunteering at your church or in your community or simply helping a neighbor in need will help you recognize that there are people who are less fortunate. Reach out and see how you can help others this holiday season. Your recipient will be grateful to you, and you’ll feel better as well. It’s a win-win situation!

The holidays can seem lonely and depressing after a divorce. But with the right attitude, you can make this holiday season a positive and memorable one. By being proactive and adjusting to the changes, you can enjoy time with friends and family.
If You Are Relocating With Children, Does This Affect Your Parenting Plan?
If you are currently divorced and share a minor child with your ex-spouse, you likely have a parenting plan in place that allocates parental responsibilities, including important decision-making responsibilities for the child as well as parenting time, or when each parent physically cares for and spends time with the child. But what happens if you apply for and are offered a new job that requires you to move cities? And does the answer to that question change if you are simply moving elsewhere in the state of Colorado as opposed to another state?

The matter of relocation can be complicated for parents in, especially when the parents do not agree that a relocation is in the best interests of the child. Here we break down the process of relocation and how a parent can seek to modify parenting time.

Distance of the Move and How It Affects a Relocation
If you are simply moving to another house in the same area, or if you are moving to a nearby suburb, you likely will not need to seek permission for your relocation. However, according to Colorado law (C.R.S. § 14-10-129), when one of the parents intends to relocate with the child to a home that significantly changes the geographical ties between the child and the other parent, then the parent seeking to move must inform the other parent and begin taking steps toward a lawful relocation and you will need to do the following:

  • Provide the other parent with written notice, as soon as it is practicable, of your intent to relocate;
  • Provide the other parent with the location of where you intend to reside and your reason for the relocation;
  • Provide a proposed revised parenting time plan; and
  • Schedule a court hearing for a modification of parenting time.

Motion for a Relocation
If the other parent agrees to the modification, the process is much easier. However, if the other parent does not agree, you will need to seek permission from the court. When you seek to modify a parenting time plan with the permission of the court, you will need to file a motion for relocation. In determining whether to grant your motion, the court will decide whether the relocation is in the best interests of the child. In order to make that determination, the court will look at a number of different factors, including but not limited to:

  • Reasons you want to relocate with your child;
  • Reasons the other parent objects to the relocation;
  • History and quality of your relationship with the child since the parenting time order took effect;
  • History and quality of the other parent’s relationship with the child since the parenting time order took effect;
  • Educational opportunities for your child at your current location and at the new location;
  • Advantages for the child to remain with the primary caregiver;
  • Anticipated impact of the move on your child;
  • Whether court will be able to revise the parenting time schedule in a reasonable manner if it permits the relocation; and
  • Other factors involved in determining the best interests of the child.

If you need help with your situation, call us at 720-542-6142 or contact us here to speak with one of our attorneys.
This newsletter is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter should be taken as legal advice and receiving this newsletter does not constitute an attorney client relationship.