Dating after divorce will be a new and exciting experience. There will be inevitable highs and lows as you begin the next chapter in your life. Consult your Toronto divorce lawyer to verify at which point your divorce is final and complete. Once all the papers are signed for your divorce and child custody arrangement, you can go forward optimistically and confidently.
A Toronto divorce lawyer will affirm that dating after divorce will not normally have any legal effect. Once your marriage has been dissolved, the only legal ties between ex-spouses are support obligations and custody matters.
A spouse cannot tamper with the child custody arrangement on the sole basis that his/her ex-spouse is dating. However, if one has a legitimate concern about the safety or health of the child in relation to one’s ex-spouse’s new partner then immediate steps should be taken. Please confer with your Toronto divorce lawyer about what appropriate and legal actions one should take if there is reasonable concern for the child’s well being.
Moving on from a marriage can be difficult for both parties. It may seem intimidating to start dating for the first time in years. Likewise, it may be emotionally trying for your ex-spouse to bear witness to your growth of romantic prospects.
Thus, expect some resistance from your ex-spouse at first. Remember, he/she cannot legally take away or withhold your child because you have started dating. Do no heed such threats. If you continue to be genuinely concerned, simply talk to your Toronto Divorce lawyer for reassurance. Children are not to be used as pawns in a post-divorce power play game. The law will not support such behaviour, and neither should you.
In summary, dating after divorce is fraught with new challenges. It will require nuanced navigation between yourself, your new partner, your ex-spouse and your child(ren). Nevertheless, there is no legal reason not to date, as it will not typically affect your child custody
arrangement.
What Impact Could my Dating have on Child Custody during my Divorce?: Part I
What Impact Could my Dating have on Child Custody during my Divorce?: Part II
Related: Dating After Divorce