Drafting a Parenting Plan through a process of assistance

Most frequently the reasons for relationship breakdown involve the betrayal of trust. A distinction must be drawn between the breakdown in spousal trust and a breakdown in parental trust.

What is the purpose of building a parental alliance or in restoring parental trust?

• There are risks for child well-being that are inherent to divorce
• Parental conflict compounds these risks
• The quality of the parental alliance could act as a mitigating factor in addressing these risk factors
  – McIntosh, J (2007) – AFRC Issues No1, 2007

Examples of different types of trust

Institutional trust: Trust in for example an authority such as Court. A Court Order is an example of institutional trust. Persons trust that the legal system will assist them in securing and maintaining an outcome that is respected and honored by both parents. Obtaining an interim or final Court Order could assist parents in the restoring trust between them. The Court Order sets out parameters for parents and children.

Process based trust: Trust in a specific process could assist parents in widening the radius of trust in one another. An example of process based trust is the inclusion of a alternate dispute resolution mechanism in a Parenting Plan. The parents commit themselves to a process that they will follow in the event of a dispute. This reduces feelings of uncertainty and provides an established process to follow in a time of disagreement and crisis.

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