News » When does my child's opinion count?

"When does my child's opinion count?"  This is an increasingly common question asked by separated parents.  The place of the child's voice in the separation and divorce process has been at the centre of academic debate for many years.  With a significant increase in social science research on how children are impacted by divorce, there is a growing recognition that the child's voice needs to be heard.  Judges and psychologists alike are increasingly identifying both the need to hear from children and the positive results that occur when time is taken to properly consider their needs and wishes.

The thought is that children aged 7 and older may be interviewed by trained professionals in appropriate circumstances where decisions are being made that will affect the child's life, well being, and important relationships.  Research indicates that the majority of school aged children and adolescents want to be heard.  Although there used to be a fear that interviewing children would place them more at risk for being caught in the middle of conflict, research now tells us that when the interviews are conducted properly by neutral professionals, the children arrive willingly, talk freely, offer suggestions and like being listened to by someone clearly invested in the family's overall well-being.

The Family Centre offers parents the ability to include children's voices in both the mediation process or in collaborative divorce files.