An exploration of the impact of the Family Court process on "Invisible" stepparents

Authors

Natalie Gately, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Lisbeth Pike, Edith Cowan University
Paul Murphy, Edith Cowan University

Document Type

Journal Article

Faculty

Faculty of Business and Law

School

School of Law and Justice

RAS ID

4093

Comments

Gately, N. J., Pike, L. T., & Murphy, P. T. (2006). An Exploration of the Impact of the Family Court Process on “Invisible” Stepparents. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 44(3-4), 31-52. doi: 10.1300/J087v44n03_03

Available here

Abstract

Child custody decisions on separated families seldom acknowledge the impact that such decisions have on subsequent partners of the biological parents. New partners are thus “invisible” in litigation in the Family Court. This project utilised a qualitative research methodology to explore this experience with a purposive experiential sample of 12 second partners. The primary themes identified in thematic content analysis were exclusion and invisibility in a system over which they had little control. The findings suggest that the negative psychological impact would be lessened if a policy of inclusion was adopted in the Family Court process.

DOI

10.1300/J087v44n03_03