Alcohol's Role In Divorce

 Posted on November 10, 2016 in Uncategorized

Alcoholism can and does destroy marriages

In the United States today, it is estimated that 1 in 13 adults abuses alcohol or is an alcoholic, with more than 50% of adults having a family history of alcohol abuse. With any type of divorce or custody case, it is important to put the needs of the child or children first. When one parent has alcoholism, these cases become more challenging. Alcoholics have difficulty because most of the time they are focused on drinking. Unfortunately, this does not allow them to focus on being a parent and making sound decisions about what is in the best interest of the child. Alcoholism, like any addiction, is a disease which will affect a person for the rest of their life. There is no one-step cure and it can be a long battle with the disease.

Signs your spouse is abusing alcohol:

• Their tolerance to alcohol has built up where it now takes more drinks to
• They have given up other activities they used to enjoy, and instead are
• When they are not drinking they become irritable, anxious, have a loss of
• They have begun to lie about their drinking habits, lost their appetite, or look fatigued.

Often alcoholics can become both emotionally and physically abusive when they drink. In this type of situation, it is important for the spouse and the children to get out of the home. Often the Court will condition the visitation and custody time of the alcoholic parent by requiring them to be sober. The Courts do this to try to ensure that the child will be in a safe environment when with the parent. If the alcoholic parent is not able to remain sober the child will not be left alone with the parent. If your spouse is showing signs of being an alcoholic, talk to our lawyers at John T. Fields & Associates, to see what can be done about changing custody and visitation so your child is not put in harm's way by being left alone with a parent battling alcoholism. If your spouse abuses alcohol and you are considering a divorce, Contact us for an initial consultation. John T. Fields & Associates serves Madison, Wisconsin and the surrounding area.