Knowledge & resources

Although it was the graveyard slot at the very end of an amazing week at the National Resolution Conference 2021, the Parenting After Parting workshop was outstanding in its content and participation.

In this workshop a panel of Alex Verdan QC, Charlotte Bradley and Dr Mark Berelowitz, chaired by Simon Blain, provided a fascinating and extremely useful insight into high-conflict parental disputes from their wide-ranging perspectives.

In the second of a two-part article on how grandparents can be brought into when parental issues have arisen, we focus here on public law proceedings and the details of child arrangements order and special guardianship orders.

A number of websites and apps help separated parents share information about their children’s needs and plan anything from diaries to mealtimes. Many also have built-in recording of conversations and tools to help reduce conflict in the co-parenting space. As these are now sometimes court-ordered, practitioners are advised to have at least a basic knowledge of what the different options offer.

The charity OnePlusOne has five decades of research into family breakdown and has developed models, programmes and publications that deliver. As lockdown-related family problems surge, the charity asks if the DD&S Bill might offer some glimmers of hope…

This article tries to answer some of the questions now faced by separated parents worried about how the current events and government advice will impact on their child arrangements – whether existing or sought. I have seen and read many social media comments about this topic. There seems to be a wide divergence of views from family lawyers up and down the country.

In these difficult times arrangements in nearly every aspect of life are changing rapidly. This will include living and contact arrangements for the children of separated parents. If possible, parents will need to work together to agree necessary changes.

In this podcast, Denise Ingamells, Head of London SPIPs at RCJ Advice, and Marc Etherington from Resolution’s Parenting After Parting Committee, discuss how the Separated Parents Information Programme works.

In this audio recording of their workshop, Gillian Bishop and Felicity Shedden, explore how parenting co-ordination supports parents in high conflict to implement final child arrangements orders or parenting agreements.

With the help of the Parenting after Parenting Committee we have put together this guidance to help you help clients who are separating parents

Children will react in different ways to the divorce. Some will be angry, hurt or upset, some may show no reaction at all. In families where there has been a great deal of fighting between parents, children may even feel relieved. They need to know that this is normal. Below we look at the common emotions children might experience and how you can help support them through this time.

When parents split up the questions about where the children will live and how will each parent get to spend time with them will naturally arise.

It is important to keep your children informed about what you are planning and listen to their opinions too. Relate has some useful resources to help you plan living arrangements with your children.

The rest of this section looks at how to manage more trying situations, such as if one parent has to move away or if there is difficulty in keeping in contact with your children.

If you are thinking about divorce or separation, one of your biggest worries is likely to be about your children: where they will live and how they will continue to have a meaningful relationship with both of you.

For children, being able to spend time with both of their parents is important. As difficult as it may seem at first, managing to successfully parent across two homes is achievable.

While your relationship with your partner has ended, your role as a parent has not. As you move on with life after your divorce, you and your ex will need to manage your relationship as separated parents.

Conflict is damaging, especially conflict happening between the two people your children love best in the world.

Our Parenting Charter sets out what children should be able to expect from their parents if they are separating and what separating parents need to do in the interests of their children. At times of family difficulty, it is easy for adults to forget what it is like to be a child, distracted as they may be by feelings of hurt and fear for the future.

Recognising your feelings will allow you to better support your children. Understand how anger, denial and depression can affect you and how you can manage them.

The Guides to Good Practice build on the Code of Practice by developing the ethos behind it into areas of practice. They are intended to help demonstrate the way in which the Code should be applied in day-to-day situations. This guide focuses on referrals to contact centres and the best practice needed in these cases.