You’re going through a divorce and your life is a total mess now – filled with a lot of stress and emotions. However, the one great thing that came out of your marriage is your children – now, for all practical reasons, they too are gone.

When you go through a divorce, you not only have to deal with the emotional trauma of splitting with your spouse, but you have to cope with losing the day-to-day relationship you have with your children.

Sometimes couples stay together because the dad can’t stand the idea of becoming separated from his children. Do I have to tell you how unhealthy it is to stay in a relationship where you and your spouse are destroying one another?

When you’re a parent going through a divorce, your number one priority often lies with how your children’s lives will be changed.

After a divorce, children are typically sent back and forth between their mother’s and father’s homes. The actual time varies, depending on the type of custody that was awarded in a court order.

In case you aren’t aware, you have a legal right to have a meaningful relationship with your children – even if you are no longer with their mother.

Are you a dad who is having trouble seeing your children since your divorce? Is your ex-spouse using your children as a means to punish you for leaving? Has your ex become so hostile that she’s only allowing you to see your children every other weekend – sometimes less?

Your ex might think she is justified to do this because you left, but she isn’t. You’re still paying child support – never stopped paying child support – but you want to see your children as often as possible.

What about if your ex decides to move away? About 20 percent of custodial mothers find an excuse to do just that – leaving the father to see his children only a few times a year. You end up being the father who had daily close contact with your children to a father who is out of the loop with your children.

It’s in the children’s best interests to have both parents present during their lives, but sometimes personal disagreements can get in the way of this. We have seen many parents use their children as pawns simply to get back at the other parent. This is unfortunate because not having a relationship with a parent can affect the child’s life.

Do you find yourself in this situation? If so, contact the Family Law offices of Holstrom, Block & Parke.Our firm can help preserve your rights and make sure your children do not miss out on having a relationship with their father.

We are conveniently located in Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties. Call our offices for a free consultation to discuss your case with us.