By Melissa Lenon, M.A.

Many parents want to uncouple and do it better - especially for the kids’ sake. I will talk about two of the biggest factors that negatively affect children’s wellbeing during and after divorce, and how to overcome these obstacles.

Divorce research and literature have a lineage dating back to the 1970s when the first state in the nation, California, implemented no-fault divorce. It was as if the flood gates had opened for ‘easy’ divorce, and the court system was boggled and bottlenecked with divorce cases. This change in the law, The Family Law Act, and its effect of driving previously stranded unhappy couples to un-coupling inspired substantial inquiries, studies and writings on the effects of divorce on children in California. Other states quickly went down the no fault divorce path and generated further interest in how children were affected by divorce. This vein of inquiry has continued and grown with numerous studies over numerous decades across numerous countries, using different tools and measurements to better understand children’s experience of and adjustment to divorce.

July 26, 2024 was a great day for New Hampshire children and families, HB 185 Shared Parenting has been signed into law.

Thank you, Governor Sununu, for signing this important legislation.

HB 185 reforms the current, outdated language in New Hampshire law to better align with the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, most importantly, to protect New Hampshire children’s right to the equal care, custody, and control of both of their fit, willing, and able parents after separation or divorce.

When a couple decides to divorce, the first thing they typically think of is that it will be an intense, costly legal battle that could create even more animosity during and after an already uncertain period of their lives. The collateral damage comes when there are children involved, and they get caught in the crossfire. This is damage that can impact children’s lives for years to come, even as adults.  But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are options for divorce other than litigation.  The 3rd annual Divorce With Respect Week will be held March 4 through 8, 2024. Divorce With Respect Week offers an opportunity to learn more about those options.  Collaborative Divorce Professionals throughout the country are offering free 30-minute consultations to anyone wanting to better understand the divorce process.

Parental Alienation (PA) is a contentious issue in family court proceedings, often involving accusations of abuse between parents. Opponents of the science on parental alienation and opponents of shared parenting presumptions sometimes argue that allegations of parental alienation behaviors are a strategy used by abusers to wrest custody from protective parents.

By Laurie A. Couture
A July 2023 law change in Florida has brought national attention to the state of rights for unmarried fathers in the United States. The bill, which was known as “The Good Dad Act”, passed “unanimously” in the Florida House and Senate, according to an ABC News report. The law recognizes the natural right of an unmarried birth father to have an equal say in parenting his child and establishes legal protection for unmarried fathers—who previously could be cut out of their child’s lives—to be recognized when they acknowledge paternity.

Written by: Ashley-Nicole Russell, Esq. of AN|R Law: A Negotiated Resolution and NPO Board Member

Throughout our lives we make countless choices. Those choices impact almost everything that follows including our happiness, wellness, health, mindset, and so much more. For couples with children who explore separation or divorce, many don’t realize they have choices when it comes to how they divorce. It’s important that they consider how each separation or divorce process could affect their family. While most are likely familiar with traditional divorce through litigation, there is another type of divorce that is helping families divorce healthy around the world. Collaborative Practice is an alternative dispute resolution that takes place out of the court system. This process and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals were recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for the work done helping families during divorce and separation.

Relational issues are one of the most common reasons why people go to therapy. The vast majority of individuals will experience some positive benefits from therapy. The training a therapist receives in graduate school, practicum, and internship provides the skills and information necessary to guide people in a way that increases their insight about their own intrapsychic and interpersonal barriers in relationships. So, why do they not have the same level of success with families going through high conflict, litigated, separation and divorce?

Most parents who divorce will find a way to minimize their conflict. Even if they cannot attain a harmonious “conscious uncoupling” as described by Katherine Woodward and later popularized by Gwyneth Paltrow, they are able to bring closure to their intimate relationship and move themselves and their children into a stable and somewhat amicable new existence where family units exist in two homes instead of one, where parents operate differently but still unite on important topics, and where healthy parent child relationships are valued by both parents.

No one prepares you for life after separation from a loved one. And while it may seem impossible, you can rebuild your family’s life even when your partner is no longer in the picture. Whether you’re trying to adjust to life with a loved one in jail, move on from divorce, or deal with the death of your partner, here are a few tips on how to cope with the grief and major changes that may arise.

Greg Wood of Lexington, KY passed away on Friday, January 6, 2023, at the age of 57. Gone much too soon, Greg was a dear friend to so many, and a pioneer for shared parenting in the state of Kentucky. Led by former NPO Kentucky State Chair and current NPO board member, Matt Hale, Kentucky had a volunteer team dubbed “The Kentucky Heroes” that worked tirelessly on helping to pass House Bill 528 in 2018, which was the nation’s first true shared parenting law. While not officially a part of NPO, Greg Wood was the Kentucky State Lead for The Fathers’ Rights Movement at the time, and was very much a key part of that team. He was a selfless and servant leader, and such an amazing mentor for so many of us in the group to follow.

Jessica Pearson, PhD, director of the Fatherhood Research & Practice Network (FRPN) and the Center for Policy Research (CPR), along with CPR research analyst Rachel Wildfeuer, PhD, have authored a 12-chapter compilation of policies and programs that support the engagement of fathers with their children in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

By Ruth Riley

It's undeniably clear that divorce is challenging for children of all ages. Still, the good thing is that parents can follow various guidelines to support their kids during and after the process. Below is a list of programs to assist kids in coping with the outcomes of a divorce.

Seek Outside Help

Mental health centers, social service agencies, and family counselors are helpful. Most parents seek professional help to navigate the process when child abuse or domestic violence occurs. Professionals help you plan for contact with the other parent and the best way to communicate with kids about a divorce.

Red Table Talk just gave the best coverage of parental alienation and the failure of the family courts on a national TV show! It has over 6 million views. Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Grammy have suffered from the consequences of in their words being #erased and want to share. Erasing Family stars Ashlynn and Dizzy share reuniting and we hear from Ashlynn's mother on why she alienated her daughter. Dr. Amy Baker shares practical tips on how to respond in an alienation situation as she coaches an erased mom. Music legend Teddy Riley goes public with being an alienated dad.

Parents involved in a custody matter may participate in a study titled Child Custody Rulings Linked to Parent-Child Relationships. This survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and is available at Survey Monkey until Friday, September 24, at 12:00 a.m. PST.

The research study seeks to explore how alienating behaviors and parent-child relationships may be influenced by custody rulings. Statistical analyses will explore custodial arrangements for temporary and final orders. Findings from this study could have implications for family policy on custody matters and developing a model for rulings and parent-child relationships.

The defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Fairfax County, Virginia captured the attention of millions around the world. The case was already high-profile given the celebrity status of the ex-spouses; however, social media played a large role in elevating its prominence. In addition to live broadcast reports and extensive news articles, people followed along with updates from Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. While the case brought international attention to domestic violence, it also generated conversations about gender bias.

Divorce rates are on the rise across the United States and family law attorneys handling these cases are busier than they’ve been in recent years. As a result, many children are experiencing conflict in the home. While the majority of divorces are done using litigation, there’s a new type of divorce that prioritizes shared parenting and encourages children spending time with both parents. For that reason, and many others, collaborative law is gaining in popularly not only in the United States, but around the world. National Parents Organization (NPO) has been studying this type of law for many years and recognizes its important role in promotion of co-parenting.

New research is being conducted that will uncover the impact that inequality in the United States Family Court System and child custody laws have on corporations. As a shared parenting advocacy nonprofit, the National Parents Organization (NPO) supports this research effort and ongoing studies to shed light on these issues that are plaguing families, communities, and corporations nationwide.

“Inequality in the family court system is a bigger issue that people realize. This is truly a human rights issue,” said Casey Sowers, the lead researcher for this study.

Sowers is the Executive Director of The Fathers’ Rights Movement and also a doctoral candidate at Florida International University’s Chapman Graduate School of Business. NPO spoke with him to learn more about his research.