Some children require specialized care, sometimes 24/7. In fact, the special needs of a child may even contribute to a couple’s divorce because their struggle to care for their child has strained their marriage, or they have differing opinions about the best way to support them. Divorce is never easy, but it’s important to understand how this life transition can be altered for a couple who share a special needs child.
The Costs of Lifelong Special Needs Childcare Post-Divorce
In a typical divorce, topics discussed when it comes to parenting time and child support include education costs, clothing, equipment and extracurriculars, field trips, and orthodontics. In a family with a special needs child, caregiving does not always end at 18. It may continue for life. Lifelong special needs childcare can include:
- Caregiving: A special needs child may prompt a family to decide that one parent will stay home to care for the child while the other parent works. Should divorce occur, the caregiving parent will still be in the same circumstances without their own income. An experienced divorce lawyer ensures the standard of care and living are adequately addressed in a divorce settlement so child and parent maintain the status quo.
- Outside help: Families with a special needs child need help. It is nearly impossible to take care of a special needs child on your own without burning out. Outside daycare or in-home care, along with a dedicated nurse for around-the-clock help, educational needs, or occupational or physical therapies contribute to the cost of raising a special needs child. When there is a divorce you must determine how those bills will be covered.
- Accessible housing: If the home you have shared will only be lived in by one parent now, the other parent will need a handicap-accessible home for parenting time. For couples who find this costly or logistically impossible, a nesting approach may be necessary where the child stays in the family home and the parents switch places per their parenting time agreement.
- Medical or adaptive equipment: Another item that may require sharing is a handicap-accessible vehicle that accommodates equipment your child needs wherever they go. This type of transportation is very expensive and both parents having a vehicle that can transport their child is not always financially feasible. From wheelchairs to breathing equipment to walkers, doubling up on any medical or adaptive equipment is difficult in a Michigan divorce.
Hire Legal Support for a Divorce That Includes a Special Needs Child
Your life will change after divorce, but your child will still need the same support. Child custody, parenting time, child support, and spousal support must all be considered differently when a child with exceptional needs is in the picture. Child support, for example, could result in a reduction in the child’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other government benefits.
You need a divorce lawyer who can make sure there is no support lost because of your divorce and who can guide you when it comes to special needs trusts, gifting plans, and long-term care insurance. Ask you divorce questions to the experts at Femminineo Attorneys in Mt. Clemens, MI. Schedule a consultation.