The advice given by lawyers to parents, combined with the documents and motions they write, is a major determinant of what happens to families in the years following a divorce.
Many parents turn to their attorney as the major advisor on all issues concerning the divorce. This places an unfair burden on them to be not only the legal counselor but also financial planner, adult psychologist and child development expert as well.
Unfortunately lawyers seldom have the advantage of being involved with the family when the provisions set down in the divorce agreement are tested in the real world, so all too often things seem to go awry.
On this site we hope to offer insights that will help lawyers to best serve their clients interests and those of their children.
For resources on this site see the navigation bar on the left or scroll to the hyperlinked summary descriptions below. Each year the parents of two million children decide to divorce. Not only are the adults in need of advice, these children are in need of support and advocacy from all professionals, as they struggle with the effects of the break-up of their family As children mature, their ability and desire to understand what really happened to their parents marriage helps their recovery process. There is extensive research on the effects of divorce but applying the findings in the "real world" needs careful thought. This page sites many of the current literature sources. The terms of the divorce agreement pertaining to the children need to be reviewed and revised as the children get older. Frequently the lack of an easy mechanism to do this compromises the welfare of the children. An understanding of how children are effected by what the divorce settlement does or does not say is important in advising clients and drafting documents that safeguard children's interests. An agreement that looks good on paper may be more difficult to honor than some parents anticipate. We will be updating this site with new material. If
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