Choosing to Divorce Amid the COVID-19 Crisis.
At the beginning of March 2020, we were all managing our lives and making decisions without any regard to the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis that would bring our regular daily lives to a halt. It is now the beginning of April, and we are all trying to shelter-in-place, practice social distancing, homeschool our children, and all while working from home.
This new social normal is hard for every family and every marriage. However, if you were contemplating divorce before this pandemic, and are now stuck in the same home with the individual you were ready to part with, this forced shelter-at-home may be unbearable. If you had decided to divorce before the attack of Coronavirus on our daily lives, you should still discuss your options with an attorney.
There are so many factors that must be evaluated when deciding whether now is the best time for you to proceed with your divorce. The factors include some of the following:
1. Health considerations including your current health and healthcare coverage
2. Custody and visitation issues related to homeschooling and safety of the children
3. Income issues and how both party’s incomes are affected during the crisis because this issue can affect child and spousal support orders as well as attorney fees.
Once all of the factors are weighed, and you then determine that now is the right time to proceed with your divorce, many things can be done even though the courts are only open in a limited capacity.
1. There may be emergency issues that would facilitate that the court gets involved now. The courts are providing limited services, but it is available to get orders protecting your safety and the safety of your children.
2. Your documents can be prepared and queued to be filed upon reopening of the court
3. A settlement can be completed before the courts’ full reopening, and only formalities will need to be completed after the shelter-in-place is lifted.
If you or your children are unsafe, please consult with an attorney today. There are things that can be done during this time to protect you and your children.