In a gray divorce when you and your spouse contemplate divorcing, the adult children are often left out of the process.

They often can feel overlooked in the entire process, leading to a fracturing of the family unit. Adult children can be very much impacted in more ways than one.

Although sharing custody and child support is no longer an issue, the impact of a divorce on adult children should not be overlooked.

To help limit this negative experience, we often share with our clients a few insightful suggestions:

• Be mindful of how you and your spouse share the news of your divorce
• Older children will “play” in their minds both positive and negative family experiences to help them to see if there were “signs”
• Adult children can feel responsible for your divorce for various reasons – but that is not a fair assessment for them to make
• You may find that due to your divorce, your adult children will begin to question or re-evaluate their marriages
• Experts believe that divorce can be harder on adult children vs. underage children
• Don’t find an emotional haven with your children – that’s what your mental health specialist is for
• Don’t make them pick sides or speak disparagingly about your spouse

Many couples, especially older couples, tend to underestimate their adult children’s emotional health when they divorce.

“They are adults, so they are not part of my divorce process,” couldn’t be further from the truth. No matter the age, adult children will feel the impact of your divorce.

At Collaborative Divorce Professionals, our goal is to help you learn about the Collaborative options available to you in your divorce and paternity matters and to familiarize yourself with the benefits of Collaborative law over litigation and how it can benefit you, your spouse and your minor or adult children.

Contact us today to learn more about collaborative divorce, collaborative paternity, collaborative family law, and the collaborative process.

Note: This information is general in nature and should not be construed as legal/financial/tax/or mental health advice. You should work with your attorney, financial, mental health or tax professional to determine what will work best for your situation.