Staying Sane at Home During Divorce and Coronavirus

Safety and Privacy Using Zoom Meeting IDs and Passwords Helping Families Staying Sane at Home During Divorce and Coronavirus

In this remote video podcast, Mark L. Scroggins, principal attorney at Scroggins Law Group, in Frisco, Plano, and Dallas, offers updates on Court activities and tips on staying sane at home during divorce and Coronavirus.

Zoom is being used by the courts and much of the public. For the most part, everything has been fine with a few exceptions such as what is called Zoom bombing. Mark explains how a Zoom meeting can be sabotaged and somewhat taken over by a prankster who disrupts the meeting. To protect yourself and your audience watch the video or listen to the podcast audio because Mark offers suggestions for keeping your Zoom meeting link private and using password security to protect the meeting and make sure only invited attendees are there.

 

Forbes article – Zoom Security: Here’s What Zoom Is Doing To Make Its Service Safer

 

There are also several new updates to download and make sure you are using the most up to date version of Zoom on your computer. Whenever there is widespread use of a new communication platform like Zoom, people can reasonably anticipate some bumps in the road.

Are You Making Sure You are Taking Care of Yourself and Contacting Others at Home During Divorce and Coronavirus?

All cautions aside, Mark talks about the importance of interacting with one another using something like Zoom to participate in one on one video chats and meetings, as it helps us all maintain a sense of normalcy. What are you doing to reach out and talk to someone and find out how they are doing? During Coronavirus, many people are trying to adapt to temporary circumstances. Some people are doing better than others. Taking care of yourself is important during the stay at home orders.

While some of us are staying at home with family, others are staying at home alone, or with pets. Mark talks about depression and the very real mental health concerns that many are facing when their world is changed overnight.

A walk outside just to get some fresh air, exercise and see other people can help remind us that our friends and neighbors are out there. Just going on a walk and exchanging a wave and a smile with a neighbor is a welcome distraction from Coronavirus and a temporary shutdown as we focus on staying sane at home during divorce and coronavirus.

Whether we are seeing friends and neighbors on a walk, in a Zoom chat, or on the phone, we can share our thoughts and memories, and hopefully, make some great plans of fun things we enjoy doing when things return to normal.

What Your Head is Telling You Might Not be the Truth

Emotions can run high when you are stuck at home during a lockdown, as Mark describes. Limited mobility and attitude can affect one another, just like when we are sick or injured. That interruption to our lives can affect how we perceive and respond to the people and the world around us. Finding a way to distract from Coronavirus lockdown is an exercise.

Psychology Today article – Easing Social Distance Isolation, Virtually

Peloton exercise bikes are in high demand during the Coronavirus lockdowns and stay at home orders. Now is the time to get great deals on all kinds of home exercise and gym equipment. If you are going to fall out of the habit of your normal exercise routine, you can form a new home gym habit and after the stay at home orders end, you may find you continue working from home. For many people that extra time to go to the gym is tough to fit into busy schedules. Mark reminds us that a 30-minute walk, three days a week, can go a long way for your health during divorce and coronavirus

Making or Breaking Your Marriage or Relationships with Former Spouses

Mark talks about people using the Coronavirus to mess with the other parent. For example, a parent keeping a child away from the other parent because there had been a distant touch with someone else who may have tested positive for Coronavirus. In most cases where this is happening, the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 is quite low and what is happening is one parent is trying to take advantage of the situation to thwart the other.  

If you do have a concern about custody and possession time and concerns about Coronavirus and with whom the children are in contact, call your lawyer first, before you do anything. Mark says he has not yet been in a hearing regarding a parent restricting possession because of the Coronavirus, but he safely assumes judges may be skeptical if not critical.

Co-parenting and Doing the Right Thing During Divorce and Coronavirus

Doctors and nurses are treating people remotely, using telemedicine. In the case that someone in the family, parent or child, is diagnosed with Coronavirus, the doctors are quarantining and isolating the sick family member for care at home while the other parent agrees that the sick person should stay where they are until they are well and are no longer at risk of transmitting COVID-19. This is the perfect example of co-parenting and doing the right thing according to Mark.

In a Bad Situation? You Can Still Do Something About It During Coronavirus

Family violence involving the allegations of abuse or neglect of a spouse or child are still being handled in-person in some counties where the courts remain open for essential hearings. Endangerment of a child and abuse are always essential matters that are still possible.

Non-essential matters may also be heard in some courts if they have the room on their docket. For example, Temporary Order hearings in some counties may be postponed, while in other counties they are being scheduled.

Planning time is now If you know that you want to get divorced. Now is the time to get information together. There are plenty of things you can do with your divorce and child custody lawyer. The investigation and collection of statements, documents, witnesses, and whatever may be needed to prove your case can be done during this time when we are at home during divorce and coronavirus.

Economic Problems, Job Loss, and Families in the Service Industries

Some families are concerned about their friends and neighbors who own restaurants and have employees who have been laid off or furloughed. There are also payroll protection plans for service industry employers with essential-deemed employees. Mark talks about the amounts of the loans and the various options for business owners.

Relief is out there and available, but it varies for everyone. The takeaway is that it may take some research and homework to figure out how and where help may be available.

The full podcast audio and other podcasts are available on the Scroggins Law Group Blog Talk Radio Channel. Find this program at Staying Sane at Home During Divorce and Coronavirus: Tips from Mark L. Scroggins.

We Are Here for You at Scroggins Law Group and Can Help You Today at (214) 469-3100

Like Scroggins Law Group and its team of attorneys, paralegal, and staff, many professional offices, and businesses are 100 percent open and running, just not in their brick and mortar locations. All our office staff and attorneys are available by phone and video conference for all your needs. If you have an urgent need, we will do whatever we can to help you and your family during this challenging and unprecedented time. Call for a consultation with Mark L. Scroggins today. Mark is Board-Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mark and the team at Scroggins Law Group hope this remote video podcast is helpful for everyone working at staying sane at home during divorce and Coronavirus.