When going through a divorce, most people simply want it to be over. They are often dealing with a range of painful emotions from feelings of betrayal and sadness to anger. It’s hard to imagine the future and especially what they’re post-divorce relationship might be like. Many people have reported that when they are going through divorce it feels like their lives are on hold, and when it’s finally over, it feels like they can finally breathe again. The last thing people want to hear is that when it’s over, it’s probably not really over.

But for divorced spouses with young children, there are shared obligations that will continue for years.

Circumstances change and children grow and as they do issues will arise that may not be covered by the divorce agreement. Family events, school and extracurricular activities will eventually conflict with parenting schedules. These issues can be a source of ongoing anxiety and post-divorce conflict for the parents and children.

Nearly half of all couples who have gone through a traditional litigated divorce will return to family law court at some point to resolve post-divorce conflicts. In the traditional adversarial process, there are typically a winner and a loser. That is simply the nature of the traditional divorce court system. But the severing of a marriage involves more than just the legal issues. Marriage is certainly more than a piece of paper. It is a complex tapestry of two lives interwoven together. It involves parts of people’s lives that are highly emotional. In most cases when it’s all over. one of the parties is typically not satisfied with the outcome. And this often leads to lingering bitterness and hostility.