Families needed for world-first parental separation study

A research team from the University of Otago is currently conducting a world-first study on relocation after parental separation.

The Children's Issues Centre and the Faculty of Law have begun the three-year research project aims to explore the impact on families when one parent has relocated with the children, either within New Zealand, or overseas and this move has had a significant impact on contact arrangements between the children and their left-behind parent.

Children's Issues Centre Senior Research Fellow Dr Nicola Taylor says the parent who wants to move usually has very good reasons for doing so.

"These might include better employment prospects, a new partner, extended family support, a return to their homeland or an escape from violence." However, she says the other parent frequently opposes the relocation because it will limit contact with their children.

"They are devastated at the idea that they might just see their children only once a year, or a few times during school holidays, rather than every week. The cost of visits also impacts greatly on these families when the relocation involves significant distance between the parents' homes."

Dr Taylor says relocation is one of the most controversial and difficult issues in family law.

Despite this, no previous research has been undertaken on the quality of family relationships following a parenting dispute over relocation, nor the welfare and best interests of children in these situations. She says the study is designed to address these issues and involves Trans-Tasman collaboration with researchers from the University of Sydney, who are conducting a parallel study in Australia.

One hundred families from throughout New Zealand are being sought to participate in the study and share their experiences. Ideally, each parent (and their children aged seven years or more) will be interviewed twice, with a 12-month gap between interviews so that family relationships and contact arrangements can be tracked over time.

Dr Taylor says families will only be interviewed after their case has been resolved to avoid the research interfering with any current proceedings within the Family Court.

"Some parents may have reached their own agreement about the relocation, while others might have negotiated through their lawyers, or attended counseling, mediation or a court hearing."

Dr Taylor says the Children's Issues Centre is interested in talking with families where the relocation with the children went ahead and to families where the relocation did not proceed – either because the parent changed their mind or the Family Court declined their application to relocate.

"There is a vital need for research that contributes to our understanding about the effects of parental and court decisions that restrict, or enable, relocation. Knowing what happens for parents and children in the aftermath of a relocation will help families, lawyers and Family Court judges to make better decisions in the future."

Faculty of Law Professor Mark Henaghan says a literature review and an analysis of New Zealand family law judgments on relocation matters is also being undertaken as part of the project.

Twenty-five New Zealand families are already involved in the study and the researchers hope that more will be willing to talk to them about their relocation experience. Anyone interested in obtaining a brochure, taking part in the study, or learning more about it is welcome to contact the researchers via their toll-free phone number 0800 0800 88, or by email (megan.gollop@otago.ac.nz).

The New Zealand Law Foundation is funding the study.