Managing Intractable Conflict in Shared Parenting Arrangements

Abstract

Abstract Intractable interparental conflict in shared parenting arrangements following separation and divorce creates significant risk for children’s development. In this chapter the authors use a family conflict model to describe the phases in the development, management, and resolution of intractable conflict between parents involved in the family justice system. The chapter highlights how alternatives to involvement in the adversarial processes of the court, such as parent education, mediation, and co-parent counseling, can stop conflict escalation and how parenting coordination and collaborative team interventions can help to manage intractable conflict once it is entrenched. A case example is used to illustrate co-parenting interventions.