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‘Taking a longer view of contact’: messages that adults need to hear
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Lisa Parkinson Mediator and Trainer:
There is widespread concern that legislation to promote shared parenting after separation would result in more separated parents fighting over their rights instead of focusing attention on working together for their children's benefit. Recently published research (J Fortin et al
Taking a longer view of contact: the perspectives of young adults who experienced parental separationJanuary [2013] Fam Law 104-109) contains important messages for parents and family law professionals. Accounts of childhood experience show the importance of unbroken relationships with both parents after separation while recognising that forcing contact on an unwilling child may be of little benefit or even damaging. This article considers the role that mediation can play in helping separated parents to work out individually tailored arrangements that support and benefit children. Children who had a poor relationship with the non-residential parent prior to separation may resist contact because they feel this parent shows little interest or concern for them as individuals. In some circumstances and especially at an early stage mediation can help some parents to restore or build child-parent relationships through taking more...
Read the full article here.
