Delaware County, Ohio, domestic relations court programs designed to reduce family conflict and reach agreements

Abstract

Families experiencing separation and divorce often find it difficult to provide emotional stability for children as the parents struggle with financial, parenting, and relationship decisions. The effect on children can be especially precarious. Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are risk factors that potentially affect children for the rest of their lives. Parental separation and divorce are identified as adverse childhood experiences and the experiences of stress and loss, reduced parental effectiveness, and exposure to parental conflict, among other stressors, may explain some of the negative outcomes often observed in children following divorce. It is essential that public institutions, including courts, are informed about the risks and protective factors associated with ACEs and resolve to mitigate the effects for children and families whom they serve. Domestic Relations Courts are uniquely equipped to address the effects that parental separation and divorce have on children, given the courts' authority to govern the legal divorce and custody process. The Domestic Relations Court in Delaware, Ohio, is committed to assisting families navigate separation and divorce in a way that is in the best interests of all, especially the children. The Court has created four specific programs to help litigants navigate their emotions, create new narratives, and explore solutions to conflict outside of trial. These innovative programs go beyond traditional court practices to treat the spouses and parents as unique individuals, giving them ample opportunities to address traumatic events and be validated for their lived experience. The suite of services includes Settlement Weeks, Neutral Evaluation, Co-parent Coaching, and Brief Family Assessments. In the subsequent sections, we will delve into each program, exploring their promise for improving outcomes for the public, the litigants, and the court as a whole.