Parenting Experts After Separation
Many aspects of life for parents and children change after separation or divorce. Sometimes the help of a parenting expert can ease the stress of that change.
Parenting experts – most commonly psychologists, clinical social workers and lawyers – are professionals, members of a regulated field, and often receive specialized training. Sometimes called as an expert witness in family court, parenting experts can be accessed by the parties voluntarily at any time after separation and during the divorce process. Typically, it is better to see a parenting expert early after separation, before divorce litigation begins to take a toll and while a constructive partnership is still achievable. If litigation commences and the parties cannot agree on a parenting expert, the family court can order an intervention under family law Practice Note 7.
There are two primary types of interventions conducted by a parenting expert under Practice Note 7: Evaluative and Therapeutic.
Evaluative Intervention includes:
- Triage assessments
- Voice of the child reports
- Parent psychological evaluations
- Child and adolescent psychological evaluations
- Focused assessments to address a specific question in dispute
Therapeutic Intervention includes:
- Educational sessions
- Mediation
- Counselling with one parent, both parents, the children or with parents and children
- Parent-child reunification, which may be necessary after child alienation
- Parenting coordination
These Interventions can be undertaken either voluntarily or ordered by the family law court, the exception being parenting coordination which must be entered into by consent. They often involve the parenting expert writing reports and communicating with the family lawyers or the judge. On occasion, a report may be referred to in the divorce trial.
If a little guidance from a parenting expert is required after separation, the legal team at Coach My Case can steer you in the right direction. Call today!
