[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” align_content=”stretch” flex_align_items=”flex-start” flex_justify_content=”flex-start” flex_wrap=”wrap” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” container_tag=”div” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” margin_top=”80px” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” background_slider_skip_lazy_loading=”no” background_slider_loop=”yes” background_slider_pause_on_hover=”no” background_slider_slideshow_speed=”5000″ background_slider_animation=”fade” background_slider_direction=”up” background_slider_animation_speed=”800″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” pattern_bg=”none” pattern_bg_style=”default” pattern_bg_opacity=”100″ pattern_bg_blend_mode=”normal” mask_bg=”none” mask_bg_style=”default” mask_bg_opacity=”100″ mask_bg_transform=”left” mask_bg_blend_mode=”normal” absolute=”off” absolute_devices=”small,medium,large” sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_transition_offset=”0″ scroll_offset=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” valign_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” center_content=”no” column_tag=”div” target=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ hover_type=”none” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ background_type=”single” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ lazy_load=”none” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” background_slider_skip_lazy_loading=”no” background_slider_loop=”yes” background_slider_pause_on_hover=”no” background_slider_slideshow_speed=”5000″ background_slider_animation=”fade” background_slider_direction=”up” background_slider_animation_speed=”800″ sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” absolute=”off” filter_type=”regular” filter_hover_element=”self” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ transform_type=”regular” transform_hover_element=”self” transform_scale_x=”1″ transform_scale_y=”1″ transform_translate_x=”0″ transform_translate_y=”0″ transform_rotate=”0″ transform_skew_x=”0″ transform_skew_y=”0″ transform_scale_x_hover=”1″ transform_scale_y_hover=”1″ transform_translate_x_hover=”0″ transform_translate_y_hover=”0″ transform_rotate_hover=”0″ transform_skew_x_hover=”0″ transform_skew_y_hover=”0″ transition_duration=”300″ transition_easing=”ease” scroll_motion_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ last=”true” border_position=”all” first=”true” min_height=”” link=””][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” user_select=”” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” disable_idd=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” width_medium=”” width_small=”” width=”” min_width_medium=”” min_width_small=”” min_width=”” max_width_medium=”” max_width_small=”” max_width=”” margin_top_medium=”” margin_right_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” margin_left_medium=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_right_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_left_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”60px” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” render_logics=”” logics=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=””]
Key takeaways:
- Standard divorce formulas don’t account for your reality. Typical child support calculations and custody schedules are built for average childhood expenses and transitions—not the therapy costs, adaptive equipment, medical needs, and routine sensitivity that special needs parenting involves.
- Direct child support payments can jeopardize critical benefits. When child support is paid conventionally, it counts as income that can reduce or eliminate your child’s SSI and Medicaid eligibility. Structuring support correctly—potentially through a special needs trust—requires specialized expertise.
- Beneficiary designations are a hidden minefield. Leaving retirement accounts, life insurance, or other assets directly to your special needs child can disqualify them from means-tested benefits. Every designation needs careful review, and this protection must be maintained as you open new accounts over time.
- Your parenting plan must fit your child’s actual capabilities. Questions like whether your child can handle transitions between homes, whether both parents can manage your child’s care needs, and how custody affects school placement require an honest assessment rather than idealistic equal-time arrangements.
- You need specialists beyond your mediator. A special needs attorney who understands disability benefits and a financial advisor experienced in benefit planning are essential team members to ensure your settlement protects your child’s eligibility while providing the support they need.
[/fusion_text][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” user_select=”” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”left” content_alignment=”left” disable_idd=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” width_medium=”” width_small=”” width=”” min_width_medium=”” min_width_small=”” min_width=”” max_width_medium=”” max_width_small=”” max_width=”” margin_top_medium=”” margin_right_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” margin_left_medium=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_right_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_left_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”16px” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”var(–awb-color6)” render_logics=”” logics=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=””]
If you’re the parent of a special needs child and you’re facing divorce, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. You already navigate challenges most parents never face—IEP meetings, therapy schedules, specialized medical care, and constant advocacy. Now you’re looking at divorce on top of all that, and the weight of it probably feels crushing.
Here’s what I want you to know: with the right approach and the right team, you can create a divorce settlement that protects your child’s needs and preserves their access to critical benefits. But I won’t sugarcoat it—divorce with a special needs child is significantly more complex than a typical divorce. The stakes are higher, the considerations are more nuanced, and the potential for costly mistakes is real.
Let me walk you through what you need to understand about negotiating a divorce settlement when your child has special needs.
Why This Type of Divorce Is Different
In any divorce involving children, you negotiate four main areas: the parenting plan, child support, spousal support, and property division. When your child has special needs, each of these becomes exponentially more complicated.
You’re not just figuring out a custody schedule—you’re figuring out whether your child can handle splitting time between two homes. You’re not just calculating standard child support—you’re trying to account for therapy costs, adaptive equipment, and expenses that continue well into adulthood. You’re not just dividing retirement accounts—you’re making sure beneficiary designations don’t accidentally disqualify your child from government benefits.
Here’s what makes this even more challenging: you and your spouse may not agree on the nature or extent of your child’s disabilities. I’ve worked with couples where one parent sees significant limitations, while the other maintains that their child will “grow out of it.” This disconnect has real consequences. If you don’t both acknowledge your child’s special needs in your agreement, you risk losing the ability to continue support past age 18 or establish necessary trusts.
Parenting Plans Require Deeper Consideration
The standard every-other-weekend schedule that works for many divorced families might be entirely inappropriate for your special needs child. You need to ask questions that other divorcing parents never think to ask.
Does your child have the capacity to handle splitting time between two homes? Some children with autism struggle intensely with transitions and routine changes. What helps them feel regulated at one home might take weeks to establish, and then you’re disrupting that stability. For these children, explore a primary residence with carefully structured time at the other parent’s home.
Can you safely transport your child between households? If your child uses a wheelchair or requires specialized medical equipment, do both parents have appropriate vehicles? Will your child need duplicate equipment at each home, or will items travel back and forth?
Do both parents understand how to care for your child’s needs? This isn’t about love—it’s about practical capability. Can both parents manage medication schedules, recognize signs of distress, and handle medical emergencies? If one parent has been the primary caregiver, the other may need training before taking on significant parenting time.
You also need to think about school placement. If your child thrives in their current school district with a strong IEP, maintaining that placement might matter more than achieving a perfectly equal custody split. I worked with a California couple where the child had finally found stability in a specialized program after years of struggle. Disrupting that for the sake of a 50/50 schedule would have been devastating—instead, we structured a plan that preserved the school placement while giving both parents meaningful time.
And here’s something many parents overlook: if your child will need someone to make decisions on their behalf after turning 18, you need to plan for guardianship now. Your agreement should address how you’ll handle this transition.
Child Support Gets Complicated by Benefits
Standard child support formulas assume typical childhood expenses. Those formulas don’t account for specialty medical care, occupational therapy, speech therapy, adaptive equipment, or respite care.
But here’s where things get really complicated: paying child support the conventional way—directly from one parent to the other—can actually harm your child financially. If your child receives SSI benefits, child support payments count as income that can reduce or eliminate those benefits. And if SSI drops to zero, your child may also lose the Medicaid coverage that comes with it.
This is why working with specialists who understand government benefits becomes essential. There are ways to structure support—potentially through special needs trusts—that provide financial resources without jeopardizing benefit eligibility. But setting this up correctly requires expertise in both disability benefits and trust law.
Life insurance also becomes critical. It’s always crucial for the parent paying child support to carry coverage, but it’s essential when that support is for a child who may need care for life. How that insurance gets structured—who the beneficiary is, how proceeds are distributed—matters enormously for benefit protection.
Spousal Support Deserves Honest Assessment
Here’s something often overlooked: managing care for a special needs child is frequently a full-time job. The parent who has been the primary caregiver may have sacrificed their career entirely to attend therapy appointments, manage medical needs, and provide constant supervision.
When negotiating spousal support, you need to consider the caregiving parent’s realistic earning capacity. Can they actually work full-time while managing your child’s needs? Probably not. Even if your child is in school during the day, there are appointments, emergencies, and the sheer exhaustion of special needs parenting that affects work availability.
This is where careful financial analysis becomes crucial. You need to look at the complete picture—what income is realistically achievable, what expenses the caregiving parent will face, and what support duration makes sense given that complete self-sufficiency may never be possible.
You also need to understand how spousal support and child support together affect benefit eligibility. This requires working with professionals who understand the complex rules around means-tested programs.
Property Division Requires Extreme Care
Property division in a special needs divorce requires careful attention to beneficiary designations. This is where families make costly mistakes.
Suppose you leave money or assets directly to your special needs child through retirement accounts, life insurance policies, or your will. In that case, you risk disqualifying them from SSI, Medicaid, and other means-tested benefits. Those assets count against strict eligibility limits.
Go through every account you own—retirement accounts, life insurance policies, bank accounts with payable-on-death designations. Consider how each beneficiary designation affects your child’s benefit eligibility. This typically means directing assets to a special needs trust rather than to your child directly, but setting up such a trust requires specialized legal guidance.
Commit to reviewing these designations regularly. As time passes and you open new accounts or change policies, you need to maintain this protection. One forgotten beneficiary designation can undo all your careful planning.
Building the Right Team
We can help you mediate the terms of your divorce settlement, but navigating a special needs divorce requires additional specialists. You need a special needs attorney who understands SSI, Medicaid, and disability law—someone who can draft or review trusts to ensure they actually protect your child’s eligibility. You also need a financial advisor experienced in special needs planning who can help you understand how different settlement structures affect benefits.
In our Elite Mediation service, we work collaboratively with these specialists to create a team approach where everyone’s expertise contributes to a settlement that truly serves your child’s needs.
Why Mediation Works Better for Your Family
When you have a special needs child, litigation is particularly devastating. Court battles are expensive, and you need those financial resources for your child’s care. They’re slow, and your child’s needs don’t wait. Most importantly, in litigation, you’re handing decisions to someone who doesn’t know your child or understand the nuanced solutions your family needs.
In mediation, you and your spouse make these decisions together with proper guidance. You can craft creative solutions and structure arrangements that fit your child’s needs. You maintain the cooperative co-parenting relationship your child desperately needs.
Navigating Complexity With Specialized Expertise
The financial intricacies of special needs divorce demand more than general knowledge—they require specialized training and experience. With an MBA in Finance and certification from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysis, I can help you understand how different settlement structures affect not just your immediate finances, but your child’s long-term benefit eligibility and financial security.
We can model different scenarios together. What if we structure child support through a trust versus direct payments? How does that affect SSI eligibility? What if we allocate more assets to spousal support and less to child support? What happens to benefits if the caregiving parent remarries? These aren’t simple questions, and getting the answers wrong can cost your child tens of thousands of dollars in lost benefits over their lifetime.
When your situation involves complex income structures—maybe one spouse has stock options, RSUs, or business income—we can cut through that complexity to determine appropriate support levels while protecting benefit eligibility. The intersection of high-asset divorce and special needs planning requires someone who understands both worlds.
Active Guidance Through Difficult Decisions
We don’t expect you to understand the intricacies of SSI rules, Medicaid eligibility, or special needs trusts. That’s not realistic, and it’s not necessary. Instead, we actively guide you through each decision point, bringing in the right specialists at the correct times and helping you understand what you’re deciding and why it matters.
Should you establish the special needs trust now or later? How do you structure life insurance to ensure it is adequately funded? What happens if your child’s condition changes over time—does the agreement need provisions for that? How do you handle disagreements about medical treatment or educational placement? You’re not navigating these questions alone or hoping you didn’t miss something critical that surfaces years later.
Planning for a Future You Can’t Fully Predict
Dividing assets and determining support isn’t just about today—it’s about ensuring your child has the resources and protections they need for decades to come. That requires thinking beyond the immediate divorce to how changes in circumstances might affect your child’s care and financial security.
What if your child’s needs increase as they age? What if medical treatments or therapies emerge that weren’t anticipated? What if one parent’s income changes substantially? What if the caregiving parent’s health declines and they can no longer provide the same level of care? While we can’t predict everything, we can build agreements that account for likely scenarios and give you mechanisms to adapt as life changes.
I worked with a New Jersey couple whose child was moderately functional at age 10, but whose doctors indicated increasing care needs were likely as the child aged. We structured the agreement with provisions for continued support beyond age 18, built in regular reviews of care needs and expenses. We established a framework for addressing changing circumstances without requiring them to relitigate everything years later.
This future-focused approach distinguishes mediation from litigation. In litigation, you get an order based on today’s circumstances. In mediation, we can build in flexibility and protections that serve your child’s evolving needs over time.
A Personalized Approach to Your Unique Situation
Every special needs child is different. Every family’s financial situation is different. That’s why cookie-cutter approaches fail these families so completely.
Maybe your child needs intensive early intervention now, but may gain substantial independence by adulthood. Perhaps your child will always need significant care and supervision. You might be dealing with physical disabilities, developmental delays, autism, or multiple diagnoses that create unique challenges. Your income structure might be straightforward W-2 wages, or it might involve business ownership and equity compensation.
We tailor our approach to your specific circumstances. The mediation process we design for your family addresses your child’s particular needs, your family dynamics, your financial realities, and your concerns about the future. We’re not applying standard formulas—we’re helping you solve the specific challenges you face in ways that protect your child’s well-being and financial security.
Your Child Needs Both of You
Your child didn’t ask for a divorce. They need both parents working together, probably more than most children do. The cooperative relationship you establish now becomes the foundation for decades of co-parenting around your child’s needs—therapy decisions, medical treatments, educational planning, transition to adulthood, and eventually planning for care after you’re gone.
Litigation destroys that cooperation. It turns parents into adversaries fighting over their child. Mediation preserves it. It helps you work together even when your marriage couldn’t survive, creating a framework for the collaborative parenting your child needs.
When you’re ready to explore how mediation can help your family navigate this complexity, working with someone who understands both the financial intricacies and the emotional stakes makes all the difference. Your child’s needs don’t have to become casualties of your divorce. With the right approach, the right team, and a commitment to protecting what matters most, you can create a settlement that truly serves your child’s future.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” align_content=”stretch” flex_align_items=”flex-start” flex_justify_content=”flex-start” flex_wrap=”wrap” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” container_tag=”div” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” padding_bottom_medium=”50px” padding_bottom_small=”30px” padding_top=”100px” padding_bottom=”100px” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” background_slider_skip_lazy_loading=”no” background_slider_loop=”yes” background_slider_pause_on_hover=”no” background_slider_slideshow_speed=”5000″ background_slider_animation=”fade” background_slider_direction=”up” background_slider_animation_speed=”800″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” pattern_bg=”none” pattern_bg_style=”default” pattern_bg_opacity=”100″ pattern_bg_blend_mode=”normal” mask_bg=”none” mask_bg_style=”default” mask_bg_opacity=”100″ mask_bg_transform=”left” mask_bg_blend_mode=”normal” absolute=”off” absolute_devices=”small,medium,large” sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_transition_offset=”0″ scroll_offset=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ admin_label=”FAQ” admin_toggled=”no”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” valign_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” center_content=”no” column_tag=”div” target=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ hover_type=”none” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ background_type=”single” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ lazy_load=”none” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” background_slider_skip_lazy_loading=”no” background_slider_loop=”yes” background_slider_pause_on_hover=”no” background_slider_slideshow_speed=”5000″ background_slider_animation=”fade” background_slider_direction=”up” background_slider_animation_speed=”800″ sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” absolute=”off” filter_type=”regular” filter_hover_element=”self” filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ transform_type=”regular” transform_hover_element=”self” transform_scale_x_hover=”1″ transform_scale_y_hover=”1″ transform_translate_x_hover=”0″ transform_translate_y_hover=”0″ transform_rotate_hover=”0″ transform_skew_x_hover=”0″ transform_skew_y_hover=”0″ transform_scale_x=”1″ transform_scale_y=”1″ transform_translate_x=”0″ transform_translate_y=”0″ transform_rotate=”0″ transform_skew_x=”0″ transform_skew_y=”0″ transition_duration=”300″ transition_easing=”ease” motion_effects=”W10=” scroll_motion_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ last=”true” border_position=”all” first=”true” min_height=”” link=””][fusion_title title_type=”text” scroll_reveal_effect=”color_change” scroll_reveal_basis=”chars” scroll_reveal_behavior=”always” scroll_reveal_duration=”500″ scroll_reveal_stagger=”200″ scroll_reveal_delay=”0″ scroll_reveal_above_fold=”yes” marquee_direction=”left” marquee_mask_edges=”no” marquee_speed=”15000″ rotation_effect=”bounceIn” display_time=”1200″ highlight_effect=”circle” loop_animation=”once” highlight_animation_duration=”1500″ highlight_width=”9″ highlight_smudge_effect=”no” highlight_top_margin=”0″ before_text=”” rotation_text=”” highlight_text=”” after_text=”” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” title_link=”off” link_url=”” link_target=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” content_align_medium=”” content_align_small=”left” content_align=”left” size=”2″ animated_font_size=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” font_size=”38px” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”var(–awb-color4)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” animated_text_color=”” highlight_color=”” text_shadow=”no” text_shadow_vertical=”” text_shadow_horizontal=”” text_shadow_blur=”0″ text_shadow_color=”” text_stroke=”no” text_stroke_size=”1″ text_stroke_color=”” text_overflow=”none” margin_top_medium=”” margin_right_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” margin_left_medium=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_right_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_left_small=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”60px” margin_left=”” margin_top_mobile=”” margin_bottom_mobile=”” gradient_font=”no” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ style_type=”default” sep_color=”” link_color=”” link_hover_color=”” render_logics=”” animation_type=”fade” animation_direction=”static” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”1.0″ animation_delay=”0.5″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]
FAQs About Divorce With a Special Needs Child
[/fusion_title][fusion_accordion type=”toggles” inactive_icon=”” active_icon=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” boxed_mode=”yes” border_size=”2″ border_color=”#d8e8f2″ hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” hover_color=”#f4f3ef” background_color=”” divider_line=”” divider_hover_color=”” divider_color=”” padding_top=”10px” padding_right=”5px” padding_bottom=”10px” padding_left=”5px” title_tag=”h4″ fusion_font_family_title_font=”Poppins” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”600″ title_font_size=”18px” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color6)” icon_size=”25px” icon_color=”#d8e8f2″ icon_boxed_mode=”no” icon_box_color=”#d8e8f2″ icon_alignment=”right” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”16px” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color6)” toggle_hover_accent_color=”var(–awb-color6)” toggle_active_accent_color=”var(–awb-color6)” render_logics=”” parent_dynamic_content=””][fusion_toggle title=”1. How does having a child with disabilities affect custody arrangements during divorce?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
When parents divorce with a child who has disabilities, custody decisions become more nuanced than in typical family situations. The “best interest of the child” standard still applies, but additional factors specific to developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, physical impairments, or cognitive disabilities come into play.
Capability to manage care needs
The evaluation focuses on each parent’s capability to manage medical appointments, therapy sessions, special education services, and daily caregiving routines. Parents who have served as primary caregivers often demonstrate deeper understanding of the child’s medication schedules, dietary restrictions, behavioral triggers, and sensory needs.
The importance of routine and predictability
Many children with autism, ADHD, or anxiety disorders thrive on predictability and consistent routines, which means frequent transitions between households may prove detrimental to their wellbeing. Standard joint physical custody arrangements may not serve the child’s best interests when they require specialized care, medical equipment, or have difficulty adapting to environmental changes.
Home environment considerations
Each parent’s home gets evaluated for appropriate safety features like locks on cabinets containing harmful substances, audio monitors for children who elope, or wheelchair accessibility.
Proximity to services matters
Proximity to special schools, therapeutic services, and established support networks weighs heavily in custody determinations. Relocating could disrupt essential educational programs and community resources that benefit the child’s development, making stability in the current environment a compelling factor.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”2. What is a special needs trust and why is it critical in divorce proceedings?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
A special needs trust (also called a supplemental needs trust) serves as a vital financial planning tool that preserves a disabled child’s eligibility for means-tested government benefits while providing supplemental resources for their care.
Why direct payments can be harmful
During divorce negotiations, establishing this trust becomes essential because direct child support payments to a custodial parent or child can disqualify them from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid coverage. These federal assistance programs have strict income and asset limitations, and unstructured financial support can trigger benefit reductions or complete loss of eligibility.
How the trust protects benefits
The trust functions as a protective vehicle where child support payments, life insurance proceeds, and inheritance funds can be directed without counting as the child’s personal income or resources. A properly drafted special needs trust allows for expenditures on items and services that government benefits don’t cover—recreational activities, supplemental therapies, specialized equipment, educational tutors, and quality-of-life enhancements.
What the divorce settlement should address
Parents must work with attorneys experienced in both family law and disability planning to ensure the trust document meets all legal requirements for benefit preservation. The divorce settlement should specify who bears responsibility for trust creation costs (typically $3,000 to $5,000), designate appropriate trustees who understand the beneficiary’s needs, and name the trust as beneficiary on life insurance policies and retirement accounts.
The stakes are high
This planning prevents the catastrophic scenario where a child receives a lump sum payment that eliminates their access to healthcare coverage and income support that may be needed for lifetime care.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”3. How is child support calculated differently for a child with special needs?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
Child support calculations for children with disabilities extend far beyond standard state guideline formulas that base amounts on parental income and number of children.
Recognizing disability-related expenses
Standard formulas don’t account for the full scope of disability-related expenses: uninsured medical treatments, durable medical equipment, home modifications for accessibility, specialized childcare providers trained in disability care, private therapies like occupational therapy or speech pathology, specialized transportation, dietary supplements, assistive technology, respite care services, and educational expenses beyond what public schools provide through Individualized Education Programs.
These costs require meticulous documentation through medical bills, therapy invoices, school receipts, and provider statements to substantiate requests for enhanced support.
Impact on earning capacity
Another consideration is the impact on the custodial parent’s earning capacity when full-time caregiving prevents outside employment. Some parents cannot maintain careers because their child requires constant supervision, frequent medical appointments, or behavioral interventions throughout the day.
Alternative payment structures
Rather than using standard child support worksheets, different approaches may be used—paying specific expenses directly to providers or allocating responsibility for different categories of costs. The goal is ensuring adequate financial resources reach the child while maintaining benefit eligibility through careful structuring of payment arrangements, which may include directing funds to special needs trusts or using in-kind support rather than cash transfers that could affect SSI calculations.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”4. Does child support continue past age 18 for a child with disabilities?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
Unlike traditional child support that terminates when a child reaches majority age or graduates high school, financial support for children with severe and permanent disabilities often continues indefinitely into adulthood.
How different jurisdictions approach this
State laws vary significantly on this issue, with some jurisdictions requiring ongoing support as long as the adult child remains dependent and incapable of self-sufficiency. When a child has profound cognitive impairments, developmental disabilities, or physical conditions that prevent independent living and gainful employment, parental financial obligations don’t end at age 18.
What your divorce settlement should address
The divorce settlement should explicitly address post-majority support expectations, establishing clear terms for continued assistance throughout the adult child’s lifetime. This becomes particularly important as the adult child transitions from pediatric to adult services, potentially losing school-based therapies and supports.
Parents should address who will bear responsibility for future residential care costs, ongoing medical expenses, adaptive equipment replacement, and daily living support services.
Transforming support at age 18
Some parents negotiate that child support transforms into payments to a special needs trust upon the child reaching majority, ensuring benefit preservation while maintaining financial security.
Planning for guardianship and beyond
The settlement may also specify arrangements for sharing costs of guardianship proceedings, since many adults with disabilities require court-appointed guardians to make legal, medical, and financial decisions on their behalf.
Forward-thinking divorce agreements include provisions for regular review of the adult child’s needs and expenses, allowing for modifications as care requirements evolve with aging. Estate planning documents should coordinate with ongoing support obligations, designating how life insurance benefits, retirement assets, and inheritances will continue providing for the child’s needs if either parent becomes incapacitated or dies.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”5. How can I protect my child’s Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid benefits during divorce?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
Protecting means-tested government benefits like SSI and Medicaid requires strategic structuring of child support and asset division during divorce proceedings.
Understanding how support affects benefits
SSI has strict income limitations, and child support payments received directly by a custodial parent on behalf of a child count as unearned income, reducing SSI benefits dollar-for-dollar after a partial disregard (one-third of the payment is excluded for children under 18 living with a parent). This means a child could lose more in medical coverage and benefit dollars than they gain in child support.
Structuring support to preserve benefits
To avoid benefit disqualification, parents should direct child support payments into a properly drafted special needs trust rather than making direct payments. The divorce settlement can also structure support as in-kind assistance, where the non-custodial parent pays specific expenses like rent, utilities, educational costs, or therapy services directly to providers rather than giving cash to the custodial parent. This arrangement prevents the support from counting as income for SSI purposes.
Understanding resource limits
Parents must understand resource limits as well. SSI restricts countable assets to $2,000 for individuals. Any lump sum settlements, personal injury awards, or inheritance the child receives could eliminate benefit eligibility unless channeled through appropriate trust structures.
ABLE accounts as an additional tool
ABLE accounts (Achieving a Better Life Experience) offer another tool for disability savings without jeopardizing benefits, though annual contribution limits restrict their use for large child support amounts exceeding $16,000.
Working with specialists
Divorce attorneys must collaborate with special needs planners who understand the intricate regulations governing SSI, Medicaid, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and state-specific waiver programs.
Timing considerations
The timing of benefit applications matters too. Many children don’t qualify for SSI until reaching age 18 when parental income no longer factors into eligibility calculations.
Ongoing compliance
Preserving benefits requires vigilant monitoring and compliance with reporting requirements. Changes in living arrangements, income, or resources during and after divorce must be promptly disclosed to Social Security Administration to avoid overpayments and penalties.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”6. What specific provisions should be included in a parenting plan for a child with special needs?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
A comprehensive parenting plan for a child with disabilities must go far beyond standard custody schedules to address the unique daily requirements that support the child’s health, safety, and development.
Documenting the child’s needs
The plan should begin with detailed descriptions of the child’s diagnosis, functional limitations, behavioral characteristics, communication abilities, mobility needs, and current treatment regimens. This helps both parents and potentially others understand the child’s day-to-day reality.
Essential medical information
Essential medical information includes medication names, dosages, administration schedules, potential side effects, emergency protocols for seizures or behavioral crises, dietary restrictions or feeding requirements, and contact information for all healthcare providers.
Custody schedule considerations
The schedule itself may need to deviate from typical alternating week arrangements if the child struggles with transitions, has strong attachment to one home environment, or requires proximity to specific schools or therapy centers. Some families implement nesting arrangements where children remain in one residence while parents rotate in and out, maintaining consistency for kids who thrive on routine.
Coordination responsibilities
The plan must specify responsibilities for attending Individualized Education Program meetings, coordinating with teachers and therapists, transporting the child to appointments, administering treatments at home, and ensuring continuity of therapeutic interventions across both households.
Communication protocols
Parents should outline communication protocols for sharing information about the child’s medical status, behavioral changes, educational progress, and any concerns that arise. The agreement can require both parents to maintain identical routines for bedtime, meals, and daily activities to minimize confusion and anxiety.
Equipment and supplies
Provisions addressing equipment and supply management ensure both homes stock necessary medical devices, sensory items, adaptive tools, and comfort objects the child relies upon.
Decision-making authority
The plan should prohibit either parent from unilaterally changing treatment approaches, educational placements, or therapy providers without joint agreement or mediation.
Detailed care guidance
Including detailed information about the child’s triggers, calming strategies, reward systems, and behavioral management techniques helps less involved parents provide appropriate care during their parenting time.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”7. How should I tell my child with developmental delays about the divorce?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
Discussing divorce with a child who has developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, or processing difficulties requires thoughtful planning, age-appropriate adaptations, and often professional guidance.
Present information as a united front
Parents should ideally present information together, conveying that the decision was mutual rather than blaming one party, which helps the child feel secure in both relationships.
Consult with professionals first
Before the conversation, consult with the child’s therapist, counselor, or developmental specialist who understands their cognitive level, emotional regulation capabilities, and communication style. These professionals can recommend appropriate language, visual supports, and timing strategies tailored to the child’s needs.
Use visual supports for children with autism
Children with autism may benefit from social stories that explain divorce concepts using simple language, sequential pictures, and concrete examples of what will change and what will stay the same.
Break information into small pieces
For children with intellectual disabilities, breaking information into very small pieces delivered over multiple conversations prevents overwhelming them with too much at once.
Use clear, literal language
Use clear, literal language avoiding euphemisms or abstract concepts that might confuse children who think concretely. Instead of saying “Mommy and Daddy don’t love each other anymore,” explain “Mommy and Daddy will live in different houses, but we both still love you very much and will take care of you.”
Visual schedules help with predictability
Visual schedules showing which days they’ll be at each parent’s home can reduce anxiety for children who need predictability.
Allow time to process
Allow ample time for the child to process information, ask questions, and express feelings, recognizing that children with special needs may need extra support understanding emotional concepts and managing their own responses to change.
Watch for signs of distress
Some children may show increased behavioral challenges, regression in skills, sleep disturbances, or heightened anxiety as they adjust to the new family structure. Maintaining consistent routines, providing reassurance, and ensuring the child has access to familiar therapists or counselors throughout the transition helps minimize disruption to their emotional wellbeing and development.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”8. What role does my child’s Individualized Education Program play in divorce proceedings?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
The Individualized Education Program serves as a critical legal document during divorce when a child receives special education services, significantly impacting custody determinations, parenting plan details, and school district considerations.
What the IEP contains
An IEP outlines the child’s unique learning disabilities, developmental delays, or other qualifying conditions, specifies educational goals and accommodations, details related services like speech therapy or counseling, and establishes the specialized instruction the school district must provide.
Impact on custody decisions
IEP requirements get evaluated when considering which custody arrangement best serves the child’s educational needs and whether proposed moves would disrupt access to quality special education programs. School districts vary dramatically in their resources, expertise with specific disabilities, and reputation for IEP compliance, making remaining in a strong district a compelling factor in custody decisions.
Preserving both parents’ rights
The parenting plan should explicitly preserve both parents’ rights to attend IEP meetings, receive educational records, communicate with teachers and providers, and participate in placement decisions. This becomes especially important when one parent has historically managed the child’s education while the other has been less involved.
Joint approval requirements
Some agreements specify that parents must jointly approve any changes to educational placement, therapeutic services, or significant modifications to the IEP to prevent one parent from unilaterally altering the child’s program.
Consistency across households
The plan can outline expectations for each parent to implement IEP accommodations and home-based interventions during their parenting time, ensuring consistency in supporting the child’s learning goals.
Dispute resolution
Parents should address what happens if they disagree about IEP content or district proposals, potentially requiring mediation before pursuing due process hearings.
Transportation considerations
Transportation to special education programs, particularly if the child attends an out-of-district placement, requires clear delineation of responsibilities. Including IEP-related provisions in the divorce settlement protects the child’s access to appropriate educational services and prevents future conflicts over special education decisions.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”9. Do I need a special needs planning attorney in addition to my family law attorney?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
Successfully navigating divorce with a child who has disabilities almost always requires collaboration between a family law attorney and a special needs planning attorney, as the intersection of divorce law and disability law involves highly specialized knowledge.
What family law attorneys typically don’t know
Most matrimonial attorneys, while skilled in custody disputes and asset division, lack expertise in the complex federal and state regulations governing means-tested benefit programs like SSI and Medicaid, special needs trust drafting requirements, ABLE account rules, guardianship proceedings, and estate planning for individuals with disabilities.
What special needs attorneys bring to the table
A special needs attorney understands how child support payments impact benefit eligibility, how to structure settlements that preserve government assistance while maximizing family resources, and how to draft trust documents that meet strict legal standards for protecting assets without disqualifying the child from vital programs.
These specialists know state-specific variations in benefit programs, waiver services, and supported living options that influence long-term planning.
How the team approach works
During divorce, the team approach works best. The family law attorney handles custody negotiations, support calculations, and procedural requirements while consulting with the special needs attorney on benefit preservation strategies, trust creation, and future planning considerations.
The special needs attorney can draft or review proposed settlement language to ensure it adequately addresses lifetime care needs, identifies appropriate trustees, establishes funding mechanisms for ongoing support, and coordinates with estate planning documents.
Understanding financial implications
They also help families understand the financial implications of different settlement options, calculating how various support structures affect net benefits to the child.
Other specialists you might need
Some families engage life care planners as well—professionals who assess the child’s current and projected future needs, estimate lifetime care costs, and provide expert testimony if needed.
The investment is worth it
While involving multiple professionals increases upfront costs, the investment protects against devastating mistakes that could cost thousands in lost benefits or create funding gaps for essential services. The complexity increases exponentially when children receive Medicaid waiver services, have personal injury settlements, or will require residential placement as adults.
[/fusion_toggle][fusion_toggle title=”10. Is the divorce rate really higher for parents of children with special needs?” open=”no” awb-switch-editor-focus=”” class=”” id=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” title_font_size=”” title_line_height=”” title_letter_spacing=”” title_text_transform=”” title_color=”var(–awb-color8)” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” fusion_font_family_content_font=”” fusion_font_variant_content_font=”” content_font_size=”” content_line_height=”” content_letter_spacing=”” content_text_transform=”” content_color=”var(–awb-color8)”]
Research on divorce rates among parents of children with disabilities presents mixed findings, with earlier studies suggesting rates as high as 80-87%, though more recent research has questioned these figures as potentially overstated.
The frequently cited statistic has been debunked
A frequently cited statistic claiming an 80% divorce rate among autism parents has been specifically debunked by subsequent studies.
The reality of disability-related stress
While having a child with special needs doesn’t directly cause divorce, the reality is that disability-related stressors can strain even strong marriages.
Financial pressures
Families face increased financial pressure from therapy costs, medical expenses, specialized equipment, and potential lost income when one parent reduces work hours or leaves employment entirely to provide care.
Emotional toll
The emotional toll of navigating complex medical systems, fighting for appropriate educational services, managing behavioral challenges, and worrying about the child’s future creates chronic stress that impacts marital relationships.
Different caregiving roles create distance
Parents often fall into different roles, with one becoming the primary caregiver managing day-to-day disability needs while the other focuses on earning income to support the family. This can lead to feelings of isolation, resentment, or being unsupported by their partner.
Disagreements about the child’s needs
Disagreements about diagnosis acceptance, treatment approaches, discipline strategies, and the severity of the child’s limitations can create fundamental conflicts between spouses.
Time and energy depletion
The intensive caregiving demands leave little time or energy for maintaining the marital relationship, resulting in emotional distance and communication breakdowns. Sleep deprivation from children with sleep disorders or medical needs requiring nighttime care affects parents’ physical and mental health. Siblings may receive less attention, creating guilt and additional family stress.
Many families grow stronger
Despite these challenges, many families raising children with disabilities develop stronger partnerships and deeper appreciation for each other’s contributions.
What helps families cope
What research consistently shows is that families need access to respite care, family support services, counseling, and community resources to manage the unique pressures, whether they stay married or divorce.
For parents who do divorce
For parents who do divorce, putting the child’s needs first, maintaining respectful co-parenting relationships, and accessing appropriate legal and financial guidance helps ensure the child’s wellbeing remains protected throughout the transition and beyond.
[/fusion_toggle][/fusion_accordion][fusion_code]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[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” align_content=”stretch” flex_align_items=”flex-start” flex_justify_content=”flex-start” flex_wrap=”wrap” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” container_tag=”div” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” padding_top=”50px” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” background_slider_skip_lazy_loading=”no” background_slider_loop=”yes” background_slider_pause_on_hover=”no” background_slider_slideshow_speed=”5000″ background_slider_animation=”fade” background_slider_direction=”up” background_slider_animation_speed=”800″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” pattern_bg=”none” pattern_bg_style=”default” pattern_bg_opacity=”100″ pattern_bg_blend_mode=”normal” mask_bg=”none” mask_bg_style=”default” mask_bg_opacity=”100″ mask_bg_transform=”left” mask_bg_blend_mode=”normal” absolute=”off” absolute_devices=”small,medium,large” sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_transition_offset=”0″ scroll_offset=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ admin_label=”Call to Action” admin_toggled=”yes”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”60.00″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” valign_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” center_content=”no” column_tag=”div” target=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ hover_type=”none” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ background_type=”single” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ lazy_load=”none” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” background_slider_skip_lazy_loading=”no” background_slider_loop=”yes” background_slider_pause_on_hover=”no” background_slider_slideshow_speed=”5000″ background_slider_animation=”fade” background_slider_direction=”up” background_slider_animation_speed=”800″ sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” absolute=”off” filter_type=”regular” filter_hover_element=”self” filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ transform_type=”regular” transform_hover_element=”self” transform_scale_x_hover=”1″ transform_scale_y_hover=”1″ transform_translate_x_hover=”0″ transform_translate_y_hover=”0″ transform_rotate_hover=”0″ transform_skew_x_hover=”0″ transform_skew_y_hover=”0″ transform_scale_x=”1″ transform_scale_y=”1″ transform_translate_x=”0″ transform_translate_y=”0″ transform_rotate=”0″ transform_skew_x=”0″ transform_skew_y=”0″ transition_duration=”300″ transition_easing=”ease” motion_effects=”W10=” scroll_motion_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ last=”true” border_position=”all” first=”true” min_height=”” link=””][fusion_builder_row_inner][fusion_builder_column_inner type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” valign_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” center_content=”no” column_tag=”div” target=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ padding_top=”50px” padding_right=”20px” padding_bottom=”50px” padding_left=”20px” hover_type=”none” border_style=”solid” border_radius_top_left=”30px” border_radius_top_right=”30px” border_radius_bottom_right=”30px” border_radius_bottom_left=”30px” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ background_type=”single” background_color=”#d8e8f2″ gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ lazy_load=”none” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” background_slider_skip_lazy_loading=”no” background_slider_loop=”yes” background_slider_pause_on_hover=”no” background_slider_slideshow_speed=”5000″ background_slider_animation=”fade” background_slider_direction=”up” background_slider_animation_speed=”800″ sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” absolute=”off” filter_type=”regular” filter_hover_element=”self” filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ transform_type=”regular” transform_hover_element=”self” transform_scale_x_hover=”1″ transform_scale_y_hover=”1″ transform_translate_x_hover=”0″ transform_translate_y_hover=”0″ transform_rotate_hover=”0″ transform_skew_x_hover=”0″ transform_skew_y_hover=”0″ transform_scale_x=”1″ transform_scale_y=”1″ transform_translate_x=”0″ transform_translate_y=”0″ transform_rotate=”0″ transform_skew_x=”0″ transform_skew_y=”0″ transition_duration=”300″ transition_easing=”ease” motion_effects=”W10=” scroll_motion_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ last=”true” border_position=”all” first=”true” min_height=”” link=””][fusion_title title_type=”text” scroll_reveal_effect=”color_change” scroll_reveal_basis=”chars” scroll_reveal_behavior=”always” scroll_reveal_duration=”500″ scroll_reveal_stagger=”200″ scroll_reveal_delay=”0″ scroll_reveal_above_fold=”yes” marquee_direction=”left” marquee_mask_edges=”no” marquee_speed=”15000″ rotation_effect=”bounceIn” display_time=”1200″ highlight_effect=”circle” loop_animation=”once” highlight_animation_duration=”1500″ highlight_width=”9″ highlight_smudge_effect=”no” highlight_top_margin=”0″ title_link=”off” link_target=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” content_align_small=”center” content_align=”center” size=”2″ font_size=”38px” text_color=”var(–awb-color4)” text_shadow=”no” text_shadow_blur=”0″ text_stroke=”no” text_stroke_size=”1″ text_overflow=”none” margin_top=”0px” gradient_font=”no” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ style_type=”default” animation_type=”fade” animation_direction=”static” animation_speed=”1.0″ animation_delay=”0.5″]
Lay the groundwork for a peaceful divorce
[/fusion_title][fusion_button link=”/tag/courses-kits” enable_hover_text_icon=”no” title=”Explore Courses” target=”_self” aria_role_button=”0″ alignment=”center” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”btn-style-blue” color=”custom” button_gradient_top_color_hover=”var(–awb-color4)” button_gradient_top_color=”var(–awb-custom_color_2)” button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”var(–awb-color4)” button_gradient_bottom_color=”var(–awb-color4)” linear_angle=”180″ accent_color=”var(–awb-color5)” border_top=”2px” border_right=”2px” border_bottom=”2px” border_left=”2px” border_radius_top_left=”30px” border_radius_top_right=”30px” border_radius_bottom_right=”30px” border_radius_bottom_left=”30px” border_hover_color=”var(–awb-color5)” border_color=”var(–awb-color5)” size=”large” fusion_font_family_button_font=”Poppins” fusion_font_variant_button_font=”700″ font_size=”16px” stretch=”default” margin_top=”22px” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” hover_transition=”none” animation_type=”fade” animation_direction=”static” animation_speed=”1.0″ animation_delay=”0.5″]Explore Courses[/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column_inner][/fusion_builder_row_inner][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_global id=”2082″]
