Posted on December 06,2016 in Uncategorized

Divorce can be a painful and stressful time for everyone involved, including your children.

Often during the divorce process, parents are overwhelmed with the situation they are facing. It is vital to remember that children are facing the same situation without the coping skills of an adult.

It is especially important at this time that parents reassure them of their love and that they will protect them throughout the divorce process. When filing for divorce in Wisconsin, some counties will require you and your spouse to complete what the court refers to as a parent education class to help you better assist your children in coping with divorce. You may also want to consider some counseling for your child, either through their school guidance counselor, your church, or another qualified professional. Here are some suggestions for you to help your children cope with the coming changes in their lives.

When Children Are In Danger

In some cases, children are put in dangerous situations as a result of a parent's poor judgment, addictions, or the new people a parent may choose to expose the children to, as well as other bad choices. For example, what if one parent has a drug or alcohol addiction? It is your job to protect your child, and an experienced divorce and custody attorney can fight for supervised placement while the child is in the care of the spouse with the addiction. This is accomplished by either a third party family member, or an outside service in your area that can accommodate supervised placement when appropriate.

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 Posted on December 03,2016 in Uncategorized

It helps to understand the difference between a Legal Seperation and a Divorce.

A divorce is a legal proceeding which terminates the legal relationship between you and your spouse. As part of the divorce proceedings how assets are divided and decisons on child support, child custody and/or alimony are decided. A divorce ends the marriage.

A legal separation is very similar to a divorce in regards to the proceedings. The court can make judgments regarding issues such as child custody and property division just like a divorce, but when it is all said and done you are still married to your spouse.

Formal legal separations are relatively rare today but some people still pursue them for religious reasons or as a way to stay on their spouse's health insurance policy. Many people will say they are legally separated when they are actually going through a divorce. What they really mean is that the court has ordered them not to have contact with one another while the action is pending.

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 Posted on December 01,2016 in Child Custody

Understanding the difference between joint custody or primary placement is very important when children are involved.

Joint Custody

Joint legal child custody means that both parties share legal custody of the child or children and that neither party's legal custody rights are superior to the other. The judge will grant joint legal custody if he feels that the parties can communicate with one another well enough to make joint decisions regarding the child's well being.

Primary Physical Placement

If the judge feels that the parties cannot communicate with one another, then one spouse will be granted sole legal custody giving that spouse the authority to make all the major decisions regarding the child or children and the other spouse will have very little to say about it. Primary physical placement means that one parent has the right to have the child placed with them and the right to make all the routine daily decisions regarding the child. Practically speaking, primary placement is very important because the parent that has primary physical placement of the child is not only the parent the child will actually live with, but also is the parent that receives child support. For more information on child custody in Wisconsin, child custody legal advice, or to schedule an appointment, contact us for an initial consultation. John T. Fields & Associates serves Madison, Wisconsin and the surrounding area.

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 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

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 Posted on September 10,2016 in Uncategorized

A divorce is a very sad, confusing, and stressful time in a child's life.

Helping children cope with their parent's divorce means making them feel loved, bringing some stability to their lives, and putting their needs first. Having a positive and reassuring attitude with your children can help reduce the confusion and fear the children are experiencing. How you tell the children about your divorce can play a big role in helping to deal with their confusion and fear.

It is very important that you and your spouse try to tell the children together. No matter how bad things may be between the two of you, it is important that children see their parents are trying to work through this difficult time together.

If you and your spouse are not able to tell the children together, it is best that each parent tell the children the same thing. You want to avoid any possibility of conflicting messages, so come to a decision about what to say before you tell the children. Regardless of whether you tell your children together or separately, it is very important that you do not blame the other parent.

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