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When Parents Need Help: Legal Issues and Your Stepchild

Jail Cell

Being a good parent is not for the faint hearted. In the short term, it’s easier to let your kids get away with not doing their chores or to be inconsistent with discipline. Being a good parent takes work and effort. Being a good stepparent takes even more time and effort. You have to work harder to gain the trust and love of a child that has two other parents besides you, and that can be challenging for everyone involved.

Stepparents in blended families have to make the extra effort to make things work out peacefully and manageably. So, what can you do if your stepchild gets into trouble with the law?

What’s the Trouble?

First and foremost, discover what might be bothering your stepchild on an emotional level. Are they frustrated about schoolwork or not fitting in with their peers? Are they in the “wrong” crowd at school? Is their part-time job influencing them negatively?
 
Maybe they are having emotional concerns about your relationship with his parents. Perhaps having to blend into a family with stepsiblings is causing him to struggle. You can always seek the help of a professional therapist or family counselor who can guide you all on a more positive path.

Seek the Advice of a Legal Professional

Depending on the circumstances of your stepchild’s legal issues, you may want to speak to an experienced attorney for advice on managing juvenile charges. An attorney can answer all your legal questions and help you develop a productive course of action.

For example, if your child was caught shoplifting, how will you manage the fines? Will they have a criminal record?  How will it affect their schoolwork or position at their after school job? What if they are charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Will they be subjected to adult punitive damages or juvenile consequences? A law firm can answer all these questions and help you move forward.

Fortunately, for those under 18, the system is focused on rehabilitation and not only on punishment. This means your child can get help.

Do Some Research

Once you discover the emotional and legal issues your child is facing, you can do some research online to learn more about the particulars of their specific situation. Learning about a problem can shed light on it and help you all feel more informed and prepared for the road ahead.

Join a Support Group

Even as a stepparent, you may be feeling like you let your child down or didn’t do a good job helping to raise them. Joining a support group for parents of children with legal issues can help you as a parent emotionally. In hearing others’ similar stories, you can learn where to find valuable resources, as well as gaining an understanding that you are not causing this bad behavior, but rather doing the best job you can as a parent to all of your children.

Remember, parenting is not an easy job, but with a good support system at home and at school, you can make progress and help a struggling child turn their life around before they enter the unsympathic world of adulthood.

Writer Melanie Fleury was once a foster mom to troubled teens. She knows how scary it can be to have your child face jail time. She found speaking to a lawyer, like the ones at http://www.devorelawoffice.com/, helped her to understand the options available to her teenagers.
 

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sercasey/251142094/

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