For most divorcing parents, the handoff between homes is treated as a scheduling detail. Dr. Michael Saini, professor at the University of Toronto and one of the leading researchers in high-conflict family dynamics, has spent years studying what actually happens to children during those moments, and the findings are hard to ignore. Krista Nash welcomes Dr. Saini back to the Children First Family Law Podcast for a conversation about his latest research, which examined 20 years of court cases to understand how judges, attorneys, and families are handling what he calls “changeovers,” and where they’re falling short.
Dr. Saini’s research reveals that for many children, the transition between homes ranks among the most stressful parts of the entire separation experience, yet courts rarely address it in any meaningful detail.
This episode offers a clear-eyed look at what children actually need before, during, and after each changeover, and why it deserves far more attention than it gets.
In this episode, you will hear:
- Why the moment children move between homes is often the most stressful part of the divorce experience
- What 20 years of court cases reveal about how rarely judges address changeover planning in any meaningful detail
- The hidden emotional labor children carry before, during, and after every transition between homes
- How camera surveillance and litigation-driven behavior at exchanges affects children’s long-term sense of safety and trust
- What children actually need in the 30 minutes before a changeover and the adjustment period after arriving at the next home
- Why school exchanges, police stations, and McDonald’s parking lots fall short as default changeover locations
- How children’s voices are largely left out of changeover planning, and what changes when they’re finally asked
Resources from this Episode
www.childrenfirstfamilylaw.com
All states have different laws; be sure you are checking out your state laws specifically surrounding divorce. Krista is a licensed attorney in Colorado and Wyoming but is not providing through this podcast legal advice. Please be sure to seek independent legal counsel in your area for your specific situation.
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