My mom just found out my dad's been cheating on her. How do I deal with all of this from 3000 miles away? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 5, 2013 - 27 answers

My sister (married, one child) and I (married, no kids) want to plan a joint family vacation. We do not want our parents (divorced, both remarried) to come. Our mom is extremely sensitive/dramatic, and we are hoping to avoid a major meltdown from her. Help? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 26, 2013 - 16 answers

My semi-troubled sibling finally pulled the "I want to live with dad!" card. What should my mom do? How can I support her? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 1, 2012 - 16 answers

My sister is separating and likely divorcing her husband after 15 months of marriage, and my family strongly disagrees with her decision. Do we tell her this? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 21, 2012 - 65 answers

Family law in Mumbai? Wondering if anyone has recommendations for lawyers practicing in Mumbai/Bombay... An older (60s) Indian couple I know appears to be heading for divorce, and I am trying to help the woman as best I can. Unfortunately, there are a number of complicating factors, and I do not personally know any lawyers in Mumbai, so I thought I would ask here. I realize it's a long shot, but it's worth a try... [more inside]
posted by aramaic on Aug 12, 2012 - 4 answers

My mother hasn't received child support payments from my father for over a year; I think she's become incredibly depressed about her treatment by the legal system, and has come to believe that no matter what she does, she'll have to bear the full financial burden of raising my sister. Help me inspire her with a rational reason why she should keep trying. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 11, 2012 - 13 answers

Can you recommend a family lawyer in Baltimore? [more inside]
posted by kroshka on Aug 5, 2012 - 1 answer

How do I (or can I at all) not invite my dad's wife to my upcoming wedding? [more inside]
posted by animalrainbow on Jul 31, 2012 - 95 answers

Did you maintain a relationship with a stepparent after your biological parent passed away? What was it like? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 29, 2012 - 9 answers

How do I become comfortable with how my father chooses to be involved in my life (minimally, not of his own initiative) as an adult? What are the limits between healthy and compassionate effort on my part and a realistic acknowledgment of both of our limitations? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 24, 2012 - 8 answers

This is not going to be pretty. I need to know if there is any way for me to maintain a life with my children if I cannot maintain one with my wife. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 26, 2011 - 91 answers

How do I handle the reaction of my family and (people I thought of as) close friends to the news of my divorce? Lots of special snowflakes ahead. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 21, 2011 - 27 answers

Looking for a printed explanation to give to my son and ex-daughter in-law why using their kids as cudgels against the other is bad for the kids. [more inside]
posted by Pecantree on Nov 13, 2011 - 7 answers

Changing my last name. How do I do it and how do I explain it? [more inside]
posted by saragoodman3 on Aug 31, 2011 - 46 answers

How can I best support a sister who is getting divorced? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 19, 2011 - 13 answers

Dad wants me to meet the woman he left Mom for. Do I have to? [more inside]
posted by animalrainbow on Jul 26, 2011 - 50 answers

I recently received an email from my dad, asking me to pick out several English names for my half-sister and I'm at a loss at how to deal with the situation due to the way my parents divorced and how my dad handled his new marriage (snowflake details below). [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 7, 2011 - 33 answers

How can I deal with Dad's sudden, one-sided announcement that his marriage to my mother is ending because he "reconnected" with his high school girlfriend? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 25, 2010 - 17 answers

I need help breaking the news of my impending divorce to family members who I do not think will be supportive because they see me as the family fuck-up. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 19, 2010 - 12 answers

How do I help my brother go from a problematic marriage to breaking it off and getting a divorce? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 17, 2010 - 18 answers

My brother's wife is leaving him, and it is hitting the whole extended family hard. None of us seem to know how to support him or how to deal with the depression that has resulted. Can anyone point us towards resources like books or websites to help this close extended family deal with this painful time and learn to support him and the young kids?
posted by anonymous on Aug 21, 2010 - 3 answers

My youngest sister has been married less than a year, is ten weeks pregnant, and just left her husband. How do I help her? [more inside]
posted by operalass on Aug 10, 2010 - 19 answers

I'm in my late twenties, and my unhappily married parents are getting a rather acrimonious divorce. Both parents want my support, but I've sort of been mostly focusing on my father, as he is depressed, lonely (my mother has a new partner) and has to sell the family home by himself. This has caused my (formerly very close) relationship with my mother to disintegrate to the point where we are no longer on speaking terms, which has placed a lot of unwanted stress on me (I've just come out of an eight year relationship). How do I patch things up with my mother without everything getting emotional? (Long explanation inside) [more inside]
posted by Piroska on Jun 18, 2010 - 19 answers

I need to find this. Very important to me. Is there empirical evidence relating to this question: Are there advantages for the children of divorced families being able to interact with both parents every day? If so, what are those benefits?--Again, in terms of citable evidence. [more inside]
posted by justrobin on Mar 5, 2010 - 3 answers

Our kids are 2 and 5. Their mom and I have a marriage that is clearly only lasting because we both love our kids so much and they need us. That said, we do NOT fight, either in front of the kids or alone. We just have a big ol' blank where the love used to be. On a daily basis we just basically ignore each other as much as possible and focus our energies on the kids. I do not foresee this lasting forever. However: When to break up? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 21, 2010 - 40 answers

Someone reassure me that I will indeed get joint custody.... [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 21, 2009 - 8 answers

We are recently separated (with lots of drama), and our families and friends don't know. How do I deal with my brother in law asking to stay with “us” for a while, since he suddenly got a job in our town? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 2, 2009 - 45 answers

Desperately seeking Erin Brokovich - need sliding scale family law attorney in San Francisco Bay Area (Peninsula / South Bay) [more inside]
posted by ebellicosa on Aug 27, 2008 - 3 answers

My parents are getting a divorce. How do I support them? How do I relate to them without it being terribly weird on me? How do I stop worrying about them so much? [more inside]
posted by salvia on Jun 30, 2008 - 6 answers

A family very close to me is having an incredible crisis. Because of my relationship with them, I have to participate and help if possible. It starts with a 40 marriage gone horribly awry. [more inside]
posted by snsranch on Feb 13, 2008 - 14 answers

Imminently divorcing parents, naive and idealistic father, playing therapist to adults - the works. Help me not hate my family! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 27, 2007 - 23 answers

I'm at University and far removed from home geographically. My parents are planning on getting divorced soon and anyone semi-observant would've seen this coming years and years ago. Both wonderful people, both wholly incompatible. So what can I/they do for my adorably clueless, naive, 8-year old sister who still has no idea? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 4, 2007 - 14 answers

My best friend/college roommate's dad just came out, and I have no idea what to do for her. [more inside]
posted by Medieval Maven on Feb 4, 2007 - 8 answers

I think my parents are on the road to divorce. I'm away at college in another state- my younger siblings are not. Warning, much, much- [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 31, 2006 - 15 answers

My parents divorced when I was a toddler, with virtually all my baby pictures plus many hours of movies (including birth, first steps, etc.) going to the non-custodial parent. For a variety of painful reasons, I have been long estranged from that parent, as well as that entire branch of the family. And that is of the good. Yet it would mean so much to be able to fill in the blank slate of my childhood with images and sounds. Am I wrong for feeling as though morally this collection belongs to me? Does a child, especially an estranged child, have the right to ask for their baby pictures? And how, precisely, do I ask such a favor of a person from whom I want absolutely no other contact? [more inside]
posted by nakedcodemonkey on Apr 22, 2006 - 12 answers

My ex wife is asking me to pay for half of homeopathy for our children and I don't want to. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 14, 2006 - 29 answers

My spouse and I are ending our marriage, and I would appreciate advice on how and when I should tell people.

We pretty much decided to do this a couple months ago, but I hadn't talked about it with anyone out of hope that we would reconcile. Recent events have made it clear that this isn't going to happen. Now I want to know how long I should wait before I explain what's happening to my child, family, friends, and acquaintances.

Tips on how I should raise the issue are also appreciated. Obviously telling my parents will require a different approach than telling, e.g., my boss. My spouse and I are both fairly introverted, and few of my friends are acquainted, so I can't count on this information spreading itself through any circle of friends. Without forcing anyone to chose sides or evoking pity, I am simply looking to minimize the inevitable awkwardness facing me.

I will definitely seek the help of a therapist, especially for guidance on how best to guide my first-grader (whose emotional well-being is most important to me) through this very difficult thing. However, I'm also interested in the input of anyone who has either been through this situation or know someone who has.
posted by anonymous on Oct 31, 2004 - 14 answers