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Children lose touch with father after split
More than a third of children lose touch with their father after their parents split up.
The study of more than 4,000 people involved speaking to both parents and children about their experiences.
The majority of parents (70 per cent) said their child's welfare was their main priority during the separation, but a quarter (25 per cent) said they believed the process traumatised their child so much they harmed themselves or contemplated suicide.
Almost one in five (19 per cent) of children said they felt used during the process and more than a third (38 per cent) said they never saw their father again.
Almost half (42 per cent) said they witnessed aggressive rows between their parents.
The survey, carried out on behalf of law firm Mishcon de Reya, also identified the financial cost of separation, with 151m paid out in Legal Aid to parents who go to court.
The firm's head of family law Sandra Davis said: "This research highlights that despite their best intentions, parents are often using their children as emotional footballs.
"They don't have the tools to co-parent effectively following separation and their only solution is to turn to the courts. Children – alongside the economy – are suffering because of this.
"The millions of pounds spent each year on Legal Aid, running the courts and the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass) could be better spent educating parents about their children's needs and gaining an understanding of how to resolve and avoid long-term disputes and reduce hostility."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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