Families going through a separation can experience significant changes in circumstances, including living circumstances and very often financial circumstances.
The family changes from an intact entity, where parents who are living together often spending substantial time with the children, to a family that often must maintain two households, where one parent must pay child support to the other and parenting arrangements have to be agreed upon.
Whilst separation is often the best decision in the circumstances and parents see that constant conflict in the home is a good reason to separate to protect children moving forward, the period of separation can give rise to conflict and dispute between parents as they navigate a new way forward.
This conflict may spill over to outside the lawyer’s offices and play out in front of the children, particularly at times when parents are coming into contact with each other during changeover.
Sometimes the often adversarial nature of a separation can play out in front of the children, even in the most well intentioned and informed parents.
Impacts on children
Research suggests that children as young as six months old and up to age nineteen can be affected by conflict between parents. It can take a toll on a child’s mental health by making them feel insecure, losing their sense of normalcy within the family. Children also are impacted by the stress felt by their parents, affecting the quality of their relationship with each parent and children themselves can feel stressed, affecting their schooling and social interactions with others.
Perhaps more importantly, it has been suggested that parental conflict can have longer term effects on children as they grow into adulthood. Some studies have shown that children from high conflict homes may demonstrate impaired cognitive performance, with children sometimes leaving school early and not progressing to higher education.
Children may grow into adults who have difficulty maintaining their adult relationships, experiencing anxiety and depression and developing unhealthy attachments. Children can also be at increased risk of turning to the use of illicit substances into adulthood.
No matter how old or young your children are, it is important to minimise conflict in front of them as much as possible, even after separation, as children continue to be affected.
If you are thinking of separating and need assistance and advice, get in touch. We’re here when you need us.
