Today we have a blog post from Aubrey Staples, one of our dedicated family law attorneys at Law Elevated. She brilliantly guides clients through everything from complex divorces and custody matters to adoptions and surrogacy contracts. A graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law, Aubrey brings thoughtful, personalized strategies to every case. During law school, she interned with Utah 3rd District Judge Holmberg and played a key role in shaping Utah’s Domestic Relations Special Master law.
When you’re in the middle of a custody dispute, it’s easy to feel like everything is under a microscope—your parenting, your communication, your choices, even your emotions. And when the stakes are this high, the pressure to “get it right” can feel relentless.
We see it all the time at Law Elevated: parents doing their best to show up for their kids while carrying the grief, fear, and exhaustion that come with a custody case. It’s hard. Really hard. And yet, there are ways to stay grounded in this storm—both for your children, and for yourself.
One of the most powerful choices you can make is to focus on the long view. The legal process may stretch on longer than you hoped. The details may feel endlessly complicated. But your children’s need for safety, love, and consistency remains simple and constant. Keeping their emotional well-being at the center of your decisions—even when it’s difficult—gives them something steady to hold onto when everything else feels uncertain.
That might look like shielding them from conflict, resisting the urge to vent about the other parent, or answering their questions with honesty that’s gentle, not loaded. It might mean saying, “I don’t know yet, but I love you and I’m here,” more times than you thought you’d have to. And while you’re offering them that steadiness, don’t forget to offer yourself the same.
Parenting through legal conflict can feel like parenting with a weight strapped to your chest. That’s why it’s so important to tend to your own emotional needs, too. You deserve outlets for your anger, grief, and overwhelm that don’t put your children in the middle. Therapy, journaling, movement, or simply calling a trusted friend can offer the space you need to process everything that’s unfolding.
And on the days that feel especially heavy—when you’re wondering how much longer you can do this—try to ground yourself in purpose. You are showing up for your children. You are doing the work to protect their future. You are modeling resilience, even when you feel frayed. That matters more than you know.
At Law Elevated, we honor the quiet, relentless effort that parenting through conflict requires. We’re here to support you not just legally, but emotionally—with a steady hand, clear guidance, and deep respect for the role you’re carrying.
You don’t have to do this alone. And you don’t have to be perfect to be doing an incredible job.
Your partner in peace of mind,
Nonie
This material is intended for educational purposes only and does not create an attorney-client relationship or constitute legal advice.
