Children with Special Needs and Divorce

When families have children with special needs, there is more to think about when creating or modifying a divorce agreement.  Unique issues regarding government benefits, healthcare, and overall quality of health are expected and addressed for a child with special needs.  For a family member with a child who has special needs, they must deal with all the stresses of caring for your child as well as battling one of the most stressful events of your life.  When your family separates, more involvement and support is needed from the child’s other parent, even as your relationship with them evolves into a more delicate state.

Common Divorce decree often fails to address the issues that come about with special-needs children. Certain factors contribute which make parenting plans more difficult including:

• Children with special needs generally have obstacles making common shared-custody schedules unworkable.

• Parents of a child with special needs may not agree on how to care for the child on a daily basis.

• Parents might have opposing views on healthcare options, treatment plans, education and intervention.

• Parents tend not to agree on tools and procedures used to resolve issues in certain areas of care.

Many special-needs children will need care and support for the rest of their lives. In such cases, the divorce decree must expect life-long support complications– well into the child’s adulthood and possibly past the parents’ lifetimes.

Moore Family Law has particular insights into the challenges and issues involved from specific, personal experience involving children with special needs.  Our firm’s team method to case work allows each member of the family to benefit from personal insight and knowledge. We are certified to help you by lending support and guidance in the regions of guardianship, estate planning, supplemental and special needs trusts, government benefits (such as Medicaid, Social Security Disability Income and Social Security Income and TEFRA), special education, and divorce and custody.

At Moore Family Law, we know that each child and family is unique. No massed-produced approach will work in every case. We pay close attention to each child’s needs and abilities, as well as the family’s one-of-a-kind situation and circumstances. We will work together with you and your child’s needs to create a plan to suit them over time.

About Author

Jennifer graduated from the University of Minnesota cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications. In 2006, Jennifer achieved her life’s dream; owning her own Family Lawyer MN practices. She practices every day as Divorce Attorney MN with the intention of representing her clients’ future.