Julia and Robert are 45-year-olds who have a 6-year-old daughter and are getting divorced. How will this action most likely impact Julia and Robert? How could collaborative divorce provide some solutions?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Mom and dad are likely to feel deeply disappointed, misunderstood, and rejected. Divorced people suffer negative health consequences and are unhappy in general. Because they are middle-aged, if Julia initiated the divorce, she may feel self-focused growth and optimism. If she did not initiate the divorce, she is likely to ruminate and feel vulnerable. Ex-spouses move on with their lives easier when they have low preoccupation with the ex-spouse and experience forgiveness. Divorced mothers tend to feel an extreme financial burden. Divorced fathers tend to suffer from their lack of presence in their child's life. Collaborative divorce is a voluntary, contractually based alternative dispute resolution process for couples who want to negotiate a resolution of their situation rather than have a ruling imposed on them by a court or an arbitrator. Collaborative divorce is an intervention designed to assist the parents of children 6 years and younger as they begin the divorce process. Couples benefit in terms of less conflict, greater father involvement, and better outcomes for children. Families who engaged in it were more cooperative and less likely to need custody evaluations or other costly services.