Children

Every year, 70,000 children are involved in a divorce and this can have serious consequences. There has been a lot of attention recently for the position of children when their parents separate. If there is a fight or even a contested divorce, this can have serious consequences for the well-being of children. It is therefore important to think carefully about this. This applies not only to the parents, but also to the lawyer or mediator who is called in. We believe that the position of children is very important and we try to convince parents that they make decisions that are also in the interests of their children. Our lawyers have also followed training courses for this. It is advisable to talk to the children about the divorce. There are a number of useful books that you can consult before having a conversation with the children. Some tips:

• Marsha Pinedo and Petra Vollinga, To all divorced parents;
• Petra Vollinga, The Big Co-Parenting Activity Book;
• Cees van Leuven and Annelies Hendriks, Child in Mediation;
• Ed Spruijt, Children of divorce.

Villa Pinedo

Our office supports the Villa Pinedo foundation (www.villapinedo.nl). Villa Pinedo is the place in the Netherlands where children of divorced parents share their experiences, advise and support each other. In addition, the experienced young people of Villa Pinedo make adults aware of what is going on in their heads and hearts. In this way, Villa Pinedo works together with young people to change the behavior of parents, in the interest of the child.

Research by the Dutch Youth Institute shows that the divorce itself does not lead to long-term problems in children, but that frequent parental conflict is the greatest risk factor.

DO YOU WANT TO PREVENT YOUR CHILD FROM EXPERIENCING NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE DIVORCE?

Villa Pinedo has developed an online training “Divorce is not child's play”. This training consists of 6 modules. Each module contains candid videos, assignments and tips from experienced young people and child therapist Marsha Pinedo. The modules provide answers to questions such as 'How do I tell my children that I am getting divorced? How do I guide my children through the many changes? How do I introduce my new partner?'

Our office offers this online training (worth €129) to all divorced parents free of charge On!

You may also need targeted help from an educational psychologist or child psychologist. Our office works with a number of permanent experts.