Report on children used as 'bartering chips' between separating parents
The Times newspaper reports of a worrying trend whereby children are used as ‘bartering chips’ by separating parents, in the search for a favourable financial settlement.
The article reflects on how divorce can affect children concerned.
When family courts look at needs, private school fees can be one of the first items to be viewed as a luxury, in order to reach a settlement. This can lead to some parents encouraging their former spouses to accept reduced settlements for maintenance, in return for continuing to pay school fees for children.
This can mean that children are used tactically, leading to an unfair outcome for the financially weaker party, or else to control a former spouse. This can all have a negative effect on the children involved.
The emphasis in the family law sector is now to avoid going to family court and instead use alternative family dispute resolution if at all possible. Arbitration and mediation can create more child-centric remedies rather than inflaming the issue.
The article also quotes Judge Wildblood QC, the family judge for Bristol, who last year said: “do not bring your private law litigation to the family court unless it is genuinely necessary for you to do so,” signalling a clear movement away from working in adversarial ways.
You can read the full article on The Times website, dated 28th October 2021, through this link.