Divorced fathers and their families: Legal, economic, and emotional dilemmas

Abstract

This book focuses on the experience of father's lives after a divorce, and how mental health professionals can help them create a healthy transition. Through the use of case examples critical issues are highlighted and discussed with supportive empirical findings and clinical insights. Traditionally, the marital legal sessions as well as the ultimate marriage settlement focus on the issues confronted by the ex-wife and mother and on the custody and visitation plan for the children. This is actually supported by law in some places. This can remove the father from important qualitative issues such as what it is like to have children in two households, relationships with two sets of grandparents, where holidays will be spent, fair rotations of responsibility and how continuing parental discord can be resolved. The issues examined in this volume are relevant to a range of professionals who deal with divorcing couples from psychologists and family therapists to legal advisors and judges.