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7 Common Challenges for Men During a Divorce

Jan 23, 2022 | Child and Spousal Support, Child Custody, Divorce, Property Division, Spousal Maintenance

No matter who you are and what your situation is, divorce is likely to be one of the most challenging situations you have to navigate. Whether you live in Sugar Land, TX, Houston, TX, or Cypress, TX, you might struggle with issues such as proving paternity, retaining your assets, and working out a child support or alimony agreement. Hiring a highly skilled divorce attorney for men can help you navigate these challenges and achieve a fair outcome.

Getting divorced is challenging for both genders, and men and women are treated the same in the eyes of the law in Texas. However, it can still be much harder for fathers to gain custody of their children. Similarly, men more often engage in self-destructive behavior after a divorce, and they are at risk of losing their social network. Let’s have a look at some common challenges you could be facing and how to best navigate them.

7 Common Challenges for Men During a Divorce in Sugar Land, TX, Houston, TX, or Cypress, TX

1. Finding a Competent Divorce Attorney for Men

People who have a completely amicable divorce and no contested items might not need much legal guidance, but such a situation is extremely rare. In most cases, you and your former spouse will need to work through the division of assets, child custody issues, alimony, and child support. All these issues can be problematic, so you will need to hire a good lawyer who is experienced with handling the unique challenges men face during divorce.

To get started, browse local law firms’ websites and read the biographies of the attorneys. Do they specialize in family law, and have they worked with people in your situation before? If you have a high net worth, children, or legal issues that complicate your case, you should call the lawyer before booking an appointment and ask them whether they regularly deal with cases similar to yours.

2. Keeping the Most Important Assets

One of the primary concerns of men getting a divorce is making sure they don’t lose the majority of their assets. You might have spent years building up a pension pot, paying off the mortgage on your house, and saving for an expensive car or other vehicle. Now that you are splitting up with your spouse, you could be at risk of losing everything you’ve worked so hard for.

In Texas, family law dictates that assets acquired during the marriage are joint property, which means that it will be split 50-50. However, your spouse can’t gain access to anything you have brought into the marriage or that has been gifted specifically to you. Sometimes, it can be hard to trace which assets belong to which category, so it is crucial that you have a great lawyer who can help you figure this out.

3. Proving Paternity

If there are children involved, the divorce will be more complicated. Before you can start working out a custody or child support agreement, you will have to prove that you are the children’s father. There are two ways of doing this, and the easiest is by signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity form. This is an option if both you and your former spouse agree that you are the father and you are happy to take on the responsibility.

Sometimes, there is some doubt, and if either you or the mother aren’t sure whether you are the biological father, you will need to do a paternity test. This provides clear proof, but it can be a hassle and expensive, so you should try to avoid it if you can.

4. Getting Custody

Once it’s clear in the eyes of the law that you are the father, you and your divorce attorney for men in Sugar Land, TX, Houston, TX, or Cypress, TX can work on a custody agreement. Unless one of the parents is abusive, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or a criminal, shared custody is the most likely outcome. This allows the children to build up a relationship and spend time with both parents.

However, even if you are both granted custody, your lawyer will have to help you work out the details of the arrangement. One parent is likely to be the primary guardian, and their house will be the place the children spend the most time in. The other parent will get to see them on a regular basis, but they may not have as much power to make decisions for their wellbeing. To obtain the outcome that suits you best, you’ll need to fight for your father’s rights.

5. Agreeing on Alimony and Child Support

In most households, one parent is the main breadwinner, while the other might work part-time or not at all. The latter person is at a disadvantage when getting divorced because they might not have the same earning potential and could therefore have trouble supporting themselves financially. For this reason, the working spouse will need to pay alimony and child support.

Despite increasing equality, it is still more likely that the father has a higher-paying job than the mother, so he might have to pay a lot of money to his former partner. Your attorney can help you negotiate a fair outcome that allows your former spouse to have the support she needs without putting you at risk of financial hardship.

6. Mental Health Issues and Self-Destructive Behavior

Men are more likely than women to face mental health issues and to engage in self-destructive behavior after a divorce. This may be related to the fact that we are often conditioned to be “tough” and not to show emotions, which can be hard during such turbulent times. While women will find a lot of support from their network, men might struggle to deal with their grief on their own.

In such a situation, getting help from a therapist or counselor could be extremely productive. Working through your issues in a safe space allows you to deal with them in a constructive way, which prevents you from putting your health at risk. What’s more, you might be less likely to display negative emotions in court and therefore be able to achieve a better outcome.

7. Social Issues

When you’re married, much of your social life is joint. You might have mutual friends and family members you spend time with. Unfortunately, these relationships often tend to break down during a divorce.
Sometimes, you lose touch with your friends entirely, and at other times, they feel the need to choose sides and only interact with one spouse. A quick and easy divorce process can allow you to move forward and build up new relationships more quickly.

Help for Men

If you’re getting a divorce, you might be struggling with a number of issues, including the division of your assets, getting custody of your children, negotiating an alimony and child support agreement, and dealing with your negative emotions. An experienced divorce attorney for men local to Sugar Land, TX, Houston, TX, or Cypress, TX helps you get through this process with less stress and anxiety.

When you get in touch with your lawyer, they will invite you to meet with them and discuss your situation. During this initial consultation, you can explain what happened, why you are getting a divorce, and what your ideal outcome is. Then, we work towards this goal together. Get in touch with us now at Skillern Law to speak to one of our experts.