Transitioning to Postdivorce Family Life: A Grounded Theory Investigation of Resilience in Coparenting

Abstract

Court-ordered shared physical and legal custody has led to greater numbers of couples that must coparent following divorce. We conducted a grounded theory study to examine resilience processes in postdivorce coparenting. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from 47 divorced mothers and fathers. The analysis revealed that successfully transitioning from married to divorced coparenting required intrapersonal changes (i.e., how participants thought and felt about their ex-partners) as well as behavioral changes (e.g., avoiding conflict). Parents who reported focusing on

Marital violence and coparenting quality after separation.

“…The results support those of Jamison et al (2014), in which resilient coparents were able to think about their former partners in somewhat positive terms even if they did not like them. Doing so helped them remain focused on their children rather than unresolved former spouse issues.…”

Lesbian and Heterosexual Adoptive Mothers’ Experiences of Relationship Dissolution

“…Indeed, more than half of both lesbian and heterosexual women described emotional growth or "freedom" post-dissolution, which enhanced their resilience during this potentially stressful time (Jamison et al 2014). And, as noted, some women described improvements in co-parenting, with this theme being especially salient among lesbian women.…”

“…And, as noted, some women described improvements in co-parenting, with this theme being especially salient among lesbian women. That most women in same-gender unions negotiated their custody arrangements outside of the confines of the judicial system may have contributed to enhanced co-parenting abilities and quality of life; prior work has documented this phenomenon in heterosexual couples who navigate custody arrangements outside of court (Emery et al 2001;Jamison et al 2014). Lesbians may also have found it easier to navigate post-separation co-parenting because they did not encounter the gendered incongruities that many heterosexual couples tend to encounter post-separation, such as pressure to (re)gain power in the relationship via custody disagreements (McCall 2005;Walzer and Oles 2003).…”

“…Parent emotional stability (Jamison et al 2014), a harmonious relationship at the time of the divorce (Toews and McKenry 2001), higher income (Donnelly and Finkelhor 1993), and geographic proximity between ex-partners (in an Australian study) (Smyth 2005) increase the chances of shared custody and fairly equal contact with both parents. A qualitative study of 39 divorced heterosexual parents in New Zealand who settled their custody arrangements out of court found that prioritization of children's needs, and keeping relationship issues separate from ongoing co-parenting, helped parents to negotiate satisfying custody arrangements in which children saw both parents at least weekly (Robertson et al 2009).…”

“…Although their sample was small and not necessarily generalizable to the New Zealand (or U.S.) population, Robertson and colleagues' study elucidates ways in which some divorced parents navigate custody arrangements outside of court. Positive shared custody arrangements are also enhanced when both parents desire the arrangement, finances are not a source of strain, the father was an involved co-parent prior to the divorce, and both parents are able to be flexible in their schedules (Jamison et al 2014;Markham and Coleman 2012).…”