Queens Divorce and Family Law Attorney Bruce Feinstein, Esq. Discusses New Information About Divorce and the Needs of Children
Queens, NY (PRWEB) November 03, 2015 -- While placing the needs of children first is of utmost importance during a divorce, these needs often fall to the wayside when parents’ personal issues and emotions come into play. There are also few resources that parents can use to navigate this difficult time properly, even with the best of intentions. A new publication set forth by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) seeks to rectify this injustice towards children with information on making informed decisions about childcare and family time. “AAML Child Centered Residential Guidelines” aims to give knowledge about how to properly divide family time. Bruce Feinstein, Esq., an established divorce and family law attorney in Queens, is sharing information points from this guide to help his clients find the best solution when it comes to time spent with their children.
Divorce in New York is based upon the best interests of the child, and this guide follows the same approach to establishing parenting time, or visitation. Divvying up time should be done in a way that is constructive and the least disruptive the child’s development. As mentioned in an October 9, 2015 article by the Huffington Post, “the guidelines feature crucial advice from experts, recommended time schedules that spouses can adapt, and practical suggestions for arriving at a cooperative plan for the entire family.”
The guide is meant for all parties who affect the outcome of the divorce proceeding, including parents, judges, lawyers, and mediators. Its main focus is to reduce the parental conflict that can come from establishing time-sharing for their children. “As a divorce lawyer in New York, my main focus is to maintain the best interests of the child,” explains Mr. Feinstein. “This means creating a home environment and helping to establish a schedule that is most conducive to their safety, development, and relationships with their parents.”
This guide explains the environment in which children do best, as well as actions parents unintentionally make that can negatively affect a child. Some examples include telling the child to keep secrets from the other parent, or unnecessarily exposing the child to legal proceedings. “Parents can easily fall into the trap of using their children as a pawn during the divorce, whether it’s done by having them send message to another parent or missing planned parenting time,” says Mr. Feinstein. “This can cause a great deal of distress to the child, even if the parent doesn’t see it that way.”
The guide then goes into a series of developmental plans based upon the child’s age. According to the Huffington Post article, it “offers an essential model that ultimately stands apart from the generally accepted traditional alternating weekend visitation pattern followed by many courts throughout the country.”
These family assessments take into account each parent’s relationship with the child and vice versa, as well as the child’s temperament and stage of development. The subsequent developmental plans go into making parenting time arrangements, the child’s specific needs during the transition, and examples of parenting plans. “This guide is centered on the fragile and important needs of a child depending on age, which is a great approach,” says Mr. Feinstein. “For example, the priority of an infant is to develop trust in the parents, and the priority of children ages 3-5 is establishing security in their routines. These nuances are vital to helping a child adjust during this difficult process.”
The guide stands by the simple tenants of communication, respect, and understanding that each parent must have, and builds its guidelines off these basic rules. “Even the smaller suggestions like dropping off rather than picking up a child to show parental support for the transition are so helpful for parents,” says Mr. Feinstein. “I am excited to use this information in my work to help families through the divorce process in New York and better meet the needs of their children.”
The Law Offices of Bruce Feinstein has nearly two decades of experience in divorce and family law, helping clients and families resolve their issues and move forward with their lives. If you are gay and are thinking of getting married or divorce and want more information visit feinsteindivorcelaw.com for more information or call (718) 475-6039 to reach the New York office. ###
Bruce Feinstein, Feinstein Divorce Law, http://feinsteindivorcelaw.com, +1 (718) 475-6039, [email protected]
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