Collaborative team Child Specialist’s work with the parents and children to:

• Offer each child a chance to voice her/his concerns in regard to the divorce.
• Offer parents guidance and information to assist their kids through this process.
• Provide info to the Collaborative team and parties which helps the parties develop an effective co-parenting strategy for their kids.

Let’s dive in a bit deeper into the Child Specialists Role

If you are divorcing and have kids, you’re probably concerned about the effect of the divorce on your kids. Irrespective of your kid’s age, divorce is a period of change and may be stressful. Addressing and understanding the needs of your children can significantly improve the likelihood of their healthy adjustment long-term. A child specialist may assist in keeping you concentrated on what matters in the divorce – your children!

The child specialist is a licensed mental health expert who has experience in family systems and child development. The child specialist helps you to stay child-focused within the divorce process, as well as helps you navigate the process of divorce with the aim of minimizing any negative effect on your kids, creating an efficient co-parenting relationship, as well as preserving healthy child-parent relationships. Collaborative Divorce Processes are the only divorce processes that include a child specialist as part of the divorce team.

The collaborative child specialist begins by meeting with you, your partner and, depending upon their ages, your kids to learn more about your family dynamics, any concerns, and how your kids are adjusting. He or she helps you and your partner brainstorm potential options for your parenting routine which will meet both of your needs, as well as your kids’ needs as much as possible.

Early interaction of a child specialist within the Collaborative Divorce Process may assist you and your spouse in uniting on topics associated with your kids, avoiding escalation of conflicts, and reinforcing the commitment of you and your partner working collaboratively for the benefit of your kids. Each family is unique and knowing your family is an important aspect of the Collaborative Divorce Process to assist you and your spouse in creating a parenting routine and co-parenting relationship which will work well for you, your partner, and your kids after the divorce.

The Child Specialist May:

• Offer education to you and your partner on the potential effects of divorce on kids and on the factors which affect kid’s adjustment
• Meet with the kids to see their views and relieve their concerns
• Assist you and your spouse in recognizing how your kids are adjusting to changes in the family
• Talk about how to speak with your kids about you and your partner divorcing
• Offer guidance about how you and your partner may transition from a marital into a co-parenting relationship
• Consult about strategies that minimize conflict, as well as enhance communication, and how to address various styles of parenting
• Assist you and your partner in developing a parenting routine which meets the needs of you, your partner, and your kids, which includes addressing any unique needs of your kids
• Consult, as necessary, with any other people like extended family, school personnel, or doctors who might have insight that is relevant to assisting your family in navigating the process of divorce
• Talk about strategies that help your kids adjust to potential changes like school changes, relocation, re-marriage and step-families, introduction of significant others
• Guide you and your partners to stay concentrated on sustaining healthy child/parent relationships during the process of divorce and in the future.

The Advantages of Using a Child Specialist

The neutral child specialist adds layers of expertise and education in your divorce which will provide you confidence that the agreements you and your partner will create utilizing the Collaborative Divorce Process is going to meet the goals of your family. He or she also can be available after the divorce gets finalized to offer extra guidance to you, your partner, and your kids to assist in navigating unexpected divorce-associated factors that might affect your kids down the line.

Call us with any questions you have (858) 472-4022