I\’m sitting with a mother and her children today. It\’s Easter Sunday and I\’m supervising a Therapeutic Visitation for them. It saddens me to see the matching Restraining Orders and allegations that are filed with the Courts from both sides as the once loving-family disintegrates.
There are instances when Family Court needs to play a part in a family\’s life. When there are safety concerns. When part of the family might become disadvantaged by the illegal or immoral activities of a father or mother. These cases are tragically difficult, but the legal system can help to keep everyone safe. In other situations, though, from my perspective, involving the Court can make the problems worse.
I do a portion of my work in the area of Mediation and in Collaborative Practice. I assist parents in reconstituting the family in a different configuration rather than having it destroyed. These are models where the family makes the decisions about what they want for the future of their family, and it works. All that is needed is two adults who can play together in the same sandbox.
Parents, it’s clear that you love your children. Don\’t make them the casualties of your decision to divorce. How you behave will affect them greatly. They need to know that both of their parents will continue to love them. If they believe that they have to choose one parent over the other, they immediately loose.
If you would like to know more, attend a Divorce Options Workshop in your area. Collaborative Practice California’s webpage has the link to the presentation CPCal.com. Please feel free to contact me directly for any questions you might have.
You can have a happy and healthy parting of the ways; you and your family deserve it.