Children’s voices on equal time-sharing arrangement following parents’ divorce

Abstract

The article presents the final part of an Icelandic research project on parents and children of divorce, focusing on grown-up children’s experiences of equal time-sharing arrangements, ETSA, after their parents’ divorce. It consists of a quantitative analysis of firstly a nationally representative sample mapping the frequency and experience of 18–59 years old individuals of ETSA after parents’ divorce, and secondly a qualitative analysis of 16 long interviews with 16 children of divorce reflecting on their experiences. Both analyses indicate different experiences of this type of arrangement. The reality of the arrangement in practice is that parents chose the arrangement on the basis of their own preferences rather than a court imposing it or because the generally accepted core conditions for a positive outcome for children were in place. These negative experiences of ETSA are discussed in further detail and the need for law reform and service improvement is considered.

Keywords:

• Equal time-sharing arrangement
• divorce
• parents’ co-operation
• children’s welfare
• family divorce counselling

Acknowledgements

The Research Institute for Child and Family Protection offered facilities for the qualitative interviews and advised on research methods and presentation of results. Halldór Sig. Guðmundsson provided helpful comments on the manuscript. Two Master students in Social Work participated in the study: Marie Greve Rasmussen undertook some of the interviews and Aníta Kristjánsdóttir assisted with reference work. Þorsteinn Vilhjálmsson gave advice on the English. The study received grants from The University of Iceland Research Fund, The Scientific Committee of the Social Work Faculty and the University of Iceland Assistant Fund. All those are thanked for their contribution and support to the study.

Notes

1. Visitation rights refer to the right of a parent with whom the child or children is not living following a divorce to have regular access to his or her child. Visitation rights are either agreed upon between the parents, decided upon by an administrative body or ruled upon by a court if there is also a dispute on the custody of the child.