Family lawyers have called for divorce to be more amicable after research showed the devastating impact an acrimonious separation can have on children.
Nearly one in five 14-22 year-olds don’t get the exam results they were hoping for, 15% move schools, and nearly one-third complain that parents have tried to turn them against one another, according to research commissioned by family lawyers’ group, Resolution. Social media often provides a cruel twist, with almost one quarter finding out on social media that one of their parents had a new partner.
Jane Craig, partner, Penningtons Manches, says: “The research makes clear the importance and value to children of parents using collaborative law, solicitor negotiation or mediation to try to resolve their differences when splitting up.
“For me, it also highlights the need for more education for parents about the dreadful and often enduring consequences for their children if parents do not put them first, by trying to resolve their differences with as little acrimony as possible.”
