As a child from a divorced family, I've had the unique opportunity to experience both the joys and challenges of being co-parented during both the summer and the school year. My parent’s divorce was nothing but combative in nature and that stayed that way a quite a long time. My journey offers some insights that I hope can shed light on the perspective of a child in such circumstances.

However, for those of us who have endured a tough and abusive marriage, the thought of attracting someone with similar traits to our ex-spouse is a genuine concern and downright scary.

When I ventured into the world of online dating after my divorce, I approached it with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Having endured years of abuse from my ex, it took me a while to wake up to the fact that he possessed strong narcissistic traits.

Have you ever heard of the book "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus"? This best-selling book explored the fundamental differences between men and women in relationships. Interestingly, but not really surprising that these differences can also manifest during the challenging process of divorce.

I have not received any child support or help for extra child expenses for my two daughters in over 4 years. Is this a common problem in North America? It seems so. In Canada, only 59% of single-parent households who were owed child support actually received the full amount they were owed. This means that about 40%, including myself, do not receive the financial support that we are “legally entitled to”. In the United States, it is even worse, where only 44 % of primary parents who are owed child support received the full amount they were due.

Interestingly, we are hearing about this more because according to a recent survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, over a quarter of respondents reported an increase in disputes over pet ownership and care in the past five years. That's right, more than 1 in 4 divorce cases now involves a heated battle over who gets the family pet. With the majority of North American households owning a cat or dog, about 58% of people in Canada and the USA it is 67%. It's no surprise that pets are often viewed as cherished members of the family

There are numerous essential factors to consider when divorcing a person who is high on the spectrum of narcissism. The traits of individuals high on the narcissist spectrum can make the divorce process especially challenging,

I knew in my own marriage that something was off with my ex. He had erratic moods, used manipulation, told lies, was codependent with his mother, mean at times, blaming, financially abusive, neglectful and a master at projecting. I remember saying to him “you could have three affairs and you would twist it all around to be my fault” and he laughed and said “yes”.

Studies have said more than half or those divorcing believes there is stigma to getting a divorce. We feel this way because our beliefs and standards were put there by others not by ourselves. Think of it this way: we are raised by society to be winners, study, get a good job, good partner and become good moms and dads. When we get a divorce that means our life just exploded and we are viewed differently and we do not feel like we are winners anymore.