Only for the Wealthy? Assessing the Future for Children of Divorce

ABSTRACT On divorce, the Family Advocate's Office inspects the records of all cases involving minor children, with the mandate of ensuring that the divorce settlement is in the best interests of the child and, if necessary, investigating the case. Alternatively, the parties or the court can request an investigation by the Office. However, problems arise when the parties cannot reach agreement with each other or with the recommendation of the Family Advocate. In practice, in such cases the parents are forced to resort to psychologists or private social workers for assessment reports in order to deal with the issues. But such reports are very expensive and therefore a luxury available only to the wealthy, however desperate the parent is to obtain custody. This article is the result of a detailed study of how the system works in practice and how the professionals — the experts in psychology and social work, the lawyers, the Family Advocates, and the Family Counsellors — suggest it could be improved to meet the needs of the parents affected and their children.