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Survey Finds Parents Asking Divorce Lawyers: 'What Should We Tell The Children?'

CHICAGO, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- As Mother's Day and Father's Day approach, a recent survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) finds more and more separating and divorcing parents are turning to their attorneys for help on how to discuss the break-up with their children. Overall, 67% of the nation's top divorce lawyers confirmed that clients do typically ask for advice in this area. Not surprisingly, 74% of the respondents also say that children are frequently placed in the middle of divorce proceedings.

As a result, the AAML is now offering a pamphlet entitled: What Should We Tell the Children? A Parent's Guide for Talking About Separation and Divorce. A helpful booklet with text prepared by renowned psychologist Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D. with assistance from Professor Mary Kay Kisthardt, it provides a wealth of tips for parents who are in the midst of ending their marriage. What Should We Tell the Children? includes guidance on how to break the news to kids, highlights the differences between talking with toddlers versus teens, and provides recommendations on dealing with a child's emotional reactions after the split has taken place.

"Protecting the children should be the highest priority of everybody involved in a divorce, but all too often parents are not sure when or how they should begin the conversation about this difficult process," said Marlene Eskind Moses, president of the AAML. "Although divorce is never easy, we hope this pamphlet proves to be a valuable resource for parents and helps to make the overall experience less stressful for children."

What Should We Tell the Children? is currently available for order on the AAML website at the following link: www.aaml.org/go/library/publications/what-should-we-tell-the-children/.

About AAML

Founded in 1962, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) is committed to encouraging the study, improving the practice, elevating the standards, and advancing the cause of matrimonial law, in order to better protect the welfare of American families.

Comprised of the top 1,600 matrimonial attorneys throughout the nation, members are recognized experts in the specialized areas of matrimonial law, including divorce, prenuptial agreements, legal separation, annulment, custody, property valuation and division, support, and the rights of unmarried couples.

SOURCE American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML)