Divorce. It is a painful process for each spouse to go through.
Unfortunately, it is the end result of some marriages. In 2022, Florida has a 13% divorce rate.
If you are one of those couples that are about to get a divorce in Florida, you need to consider what needs to happen next. This is especially the case if you have young children in said divorce.
In the state of Florida, you may have to find a Florida parenting class for divorce.
So, what will this parenting class offer to parents who are about to get a divorce? Why can you expect this to be a positive experience for you?
This is your guide.
Requirements
Parents that are married should know that if they want to get a divorce and have minor children under 18 in the picture, there are certain requirements they need to fulfill before they separate.
One of the main requirements has to do with a parenting class. According to the Florida legislature, parents with children under 18 have to take a four-hour course on divorce for parents and children. The course is designed by the Department of Children and Families.
What this means is that if you have children, you are going to have to take the class before you can finalize a divorce.
Challenges of Divorce
One of the things that these courses will do for you is it will go over what the challenges of divorce are going to be. These courses are designed to expose parents to the consequences of what a divorce can do not only for them but for their children.
It is designed to try to give them an idea of what they are getting into before it is finalized.
An example of this is the time that will be spent away from your children. Most parents that are going to these classes will likely be looking to enter a co-parenting arrangement with the other parent.
If they do this, that means that each parent is going to be spending less time with their children than they currently do. It could mean one parent losing the right to see their children for all weekdays and another parent losing the right to see their kids on weekends and certain holidays.
This can go the other way as well. The class can show parents that their kids are going to miss out on time spent with them as a complete family. Those moments will become rare in the event of a divorce, and it will mean that your children will get less exposure to each of their parents no matter what you agree to.
Parental Responsibilities
Another thing that these courses cover is the parental responsibilities that each parent would have going forward in this divorce. These courses want to promote healthy and effective communication for parents. The idea of this is that they can still make the best decisions for their children’s lives despite no longer living together.
An example could be how future college tuition would be split up. Who would be responsible for providing food and clothing for a child? Can both parents live close enough that it would not be too inconvenient for the children to see both parents?
These are the things that would have to be considered along with the financial responsibility that each parent has for their children. The course would give you an idea of what you would be responsible for and guide you on how to go about fulfilling it.
Addressing Divorce
One important concept that parents need to think about when considering divorce is how they are going to address divorce with their children. This could be very important to child development because if done wrong, it can be a moment that sticks with them.
The course can help parents come up with a plan on how to address their divorce with their children. Ideally, the parents should be a united front and when explaining the reasoning, reassure the children that they are not to blame. Also, they need to make sure that they are not blaming the other parent or talking negatively about the other parent in front of the kids.
If parents can do this effectively, it can minimize the blow of a divorce to children.
Passing an Exam
Finally, this course requires parents to pass a final exam before being able to finalize a divorce. How this works is that instructors will give parents an exam that has 20 questions on it.
The 20 questions on it will discuss topics that parents had to have covered during this course. Instructors should have told the parents about all of this information, and the exam is to assure that parents took all of this information in.
If they pass the exam, they can move forward with finalizing the divorce. It can show that you are properly prepared for what you are getting into and what the implications of this are for you and your children.
Learn More About the Florida Parenting Class for Divorce
These are the main things that you need to know about the Florida parenting class for divorce.
If you are a parent in this situation, know that the course is required before you can finalize a divorce in the state. You will have to pass an exam showing what you learned from this course. It should show you the challenges of divorce, your responsibilities, and how to address it.
Are you ready to take a parenting class? Purchase a course here today.
