Divorce and Co-Parenting in a Pandemic

As if divorcing and co-parenting weren’t hard enough. The Covid-19 pandemic has added a level of complexity never seen before. A recent New York Times article illustrates how divorced parents are struggling to make co-parenting decisions at this time. Some parents have legitimate concerns that their custody arrangement interferes with their ability to protect their children from the virus. Other parents are weaponizing the virus to upset existing parenting plans.

Due to the requirements of social distancing, many courts are closed or have limited hours and personnel. Consequently, courts are only available to hear emergency matters. Many situations may seem urgent to divorced mothers and fathers who are co-parenting. These issues may not qualify as emergencies in the eyes of the court.

Fortunately, there are options. While mediation and collaborative divorce have always been better options for resolving family matters than relying upon the court system, they now may be your only options. Mediation and collaborative divorce do not rely upon the court system, so they are readily available during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Divorce negotiations can proceed and post-divorce issues can be resolved.

I am currently working with couples in mediation and collaborative divorce using video conferencing. It works.