Communication Among Parents Who Share Physical Custody After Divorce or Separation

Abstract

This study produces a grounded theory of the process of communication with former partners for 30 men and women who share physical and legal custody of their children following divorce or separation. The formality of the custody arrangement was the core factor that influenced the ways in which study participants established and maintained boundaries regarding when, how, and what they communicated with their former partners. Other factors that played a role included the relationship with the former partner, the child, and the introduction of new partners. One cannot simply assume that because parents share physical and legal custody, they communicate with their former partners in a particular way; instead, the formality of the custody arrangement and the establishment of communication boundaries needs to be examined in order to understand how coparents communicate with their former partners.

A Multidimensional Perspective on Former Spouses' Ongoing Relationships: Associations With Children's Postdivorce Well‐Being

“…Divorce introduces significant challenges and changes across the family system in general, and to the parental subsystem in particular. For example, families are tasked with establishing new family roles, boundaries, and routines (Emery, 2011; Markham et al, 2017); managing residential transitions for children (Emery, 2011; Havermans et al, 2017); and adapting to changes in economic well‐being (Cavanagh & Fomby, 2019). Former spouses also often have to manage feelings of loss and pain associated with the end of their marriages (Emery, 2011; Jamison et al, 2014; Russell et al, 2016).…”

“…Communication between former spouses can be considered in terms of both content and frequency. Although some former spouses limit the content of their communication to issues related to their children, others also talk about topics and experiences unrelated to their children (Markham et al, 2017). For example, former spouses may continue to discuss why they got divorced, work, and news about extended family members and friends (Ahrons, 1981; Frisby et al, 2014; Markham & Coleman, 2012; Markham et al, 2017).…”

Postdivorce Coparenting Relationships and Parent–Youth Relationships: Are Repartnership and Parent–Youth Contact Moderators?

“…The entrance of a new romantic partner often means former spouses need to (re)negotiate coparental boundaries (Ganong et al, 2015). Focusing on establishing stepfamily relationships and roles may lead remarried parents to engage in less coparental communication (Markham et al, 2017) and cooperation (Christensen & Rettig, 1995; McGene & King, 2012) with their former spouses. Remarried parents, particularly mothers, may also be less motivated to coparent (Ganong, Coleman, Markham, & Rothrauff, 2011), preferring new romantic partners, rather than former spouses, as coparents (Ganong, Coleman, & Jamison, 2011; Manning & Smock, 2000).…”

“…We also addressed calls by researchers to identify factors that moderate the associations between postdivorce coparenting and youth outcomes (McGene & King, 2012). As contact between parents and their children (Cowan, Cowan, & Schulz, 1996) and repartnership (i.e., being remarried or cohabiting with a new partner; Ganong, Coleman, Jamison, & Feistman, 2015; Markham, Hartenstein, Mitchell, & Aljayyousi-Khalil, 2017) can shape postdivorce coparenting relationships, we tested if they moderated the associations between postdivorce coparenting and parent–youth relationships.…”

Divorce and Childhood Chronic Illness

“…Trust in interactions with divorced parents of chronically ill children may be even more important. Divorced coparents often distrust each other and endure ongoing coparenting conflict (Insabella, Williams, & Pruett, 2003; Markham, Hartenstein, Mitchell, & Aljayyousi-Khalil, 2015). Our study reveals that this distrust can spill over into interactions with professional and informal care providers, with potentially dangerous consequences.…”