This article describes a project based on a service provided to families going through the divorce process and its aftermath. As divorce figures increase, a growing proportion of children will experience its effects and some will have that experience more than once. If present trends continue, one in four children will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach the age of 16. Research in this field is relatively recent and the evidence is controversial. Some studies conclude that children of divorce do worse than those in intact families in several aspects of their development. Other studies suggest that it is the combination of divorce with other factors that makes a difference in terms of children’s development. The model described includes interviewing children and parents separately as well as offering family interviews. Particular attention is paid to the children’s perspective as our clinical experience shows that in the acute aftermath of divorce, there is a conflict between the parents’ own needs and their ability to think about the children’s needs. Issues emerging from the interviews, such as the loyalty bind in which children often find themselves and the need for a coherent story of the parents’ separation, are discussed. Clinical examples illustrate a way of working towards a more cooperative method of parenting in order to meet the needs of the children.
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