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.

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.