The effects of resolution method of child custody and support plans on parental well‐being during the divorce process: Implications from and for divorce education.

The majority of research on the impact of divorce on parents, children, and families focuses on what occurs after the divorce has been finalized. However, data derived from divorce education programs present opportunities for research on the experience of parents during the divorce process. Guided by the divorce‐stress‐adjustment model, this study sought to understand how the divorce process impacts parental well‐being by examining some of the most pressing child‐related concerns divorcing parents have while going through a divorce. Specifically, we looked at how the approach parents took to resolve child‐related issues (i.e., internally, through outside intervention, or unresolved) was related to the perceived fairness of child custody arrangements, parental concerns regarding how divorce impacts children, financial concerns, and their overall well‐being. Perceived fairness of the child custody arrangement, concerns regarding how divorce impacts children, and financial concerns were associated with parental well‐being, and also served as an indirect path through which approaches to resolve child‐related issues impacted parental well‐being. Understanding what parents think and feel during the divorce process, and how those thoughts and feelings are related to the actual steps to getting a divorce, could help inform divorce education typically administered as part of divorce proceedings. Key Points for the Family Court Community: The approach taken to resolve child‐related issues during divorce significantly impacted parental well‐being.Perceived fairness of child custody arrangements was also associated with parental well‐being.Data collected from divorce education participants may provide insight to family court professionals regarding the divorce process for families.Divorce education may need to include more content that targets the well‐being of parentsModels of divorce education that administer differing curricula targeted for specific needs should be considered [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]