Married men likely to make more money than those who divorce

Published: Monday, Aug. 13 2012 11:49 p.m. MDT

This was the case for Walters, who had determined to not let the situations surrounding his divorce negatively impact his relationship with his daughter. Although he knew other men who became frustrated and quit work because of the seemingly inescapable financial pressures, he said he understood the importance of his role in his daughter's life.

"It was more my love for (my daughter) and my devotion to her that kept me going," Walters said.

Walters now has custody of his 13-year-old-daughter, has remarried and has a 2-year-old with his new wife. He is back to work and is also working to empower other men in similar circumstances. He maintains a blog, theupbeatdad.com, aimed at helping dads, divorced or not, be more involved with their children. He is working on developing a non-profit in order to reach larger groups of men and provide them with the resources they need to be successful fathers.

"In many ways, you're the last chance your child has to not be a statistic," Walters said.

While most fathers in divorce will experience at least temporary financial strain, Walters encourages them to stay involved in their children's lives and to hold on to the hope that things will improve eventually.

"Don't focus on the negative of what's going on. Just focus on the beauty of what lies ahead," Walters said. "Don't give the situation more merit than is needed. Just focus on the big picture and the big picture is your children."

EMAIL: wevans@desnews.com

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