Are Parents with ADHD Children at a Higher Risk for Divorce?

adhd.jpgA recent study correlating divorce rates among parents with ADHD children was recently conducted by Brian T. Wymbs and William E. Pelham, Jr., at the University of Buffalo, and published in the October, 2008, issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The conclusions included that raising ADHD children can place a strain on any marriage. The results showed that 22.7% of couples with an ADHD child became divorced by the child’s 8th birthday, as contrasted with 12.6% in the control group whose child had not been diagnosed with ADHD. Interestingly, after the child reached the age of 8 years old, there was not a significant statistical difference in the divorce rates between couples with or without an ADHD child. For more information about the study, including the characteristics which may impact the likelihood of a divorce, click here.

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Understanding the Courts: Family Relations Department of the Domestic Relations Court of Montgomery County, Ohio

courtmc.jpgWhat Does the Family Relations Department of the Domestic Relations Court of Montgomery County, Ohio, do for the court and for the clients of the court?

The Family Relations Department entered into a Memorandum of Understanding Program Description wherein it describes it will provide the following services:

  • Guardian Ad Litem Services
  • Parenting Time Facilitation
  • Parenting Time Investigations
  • Home Study Investigations
  • Other.

An Interview with Sandra Fredrick, Manager of the Family Relations Department of the Domestic Relations Court of Montgomery County, Ohio, took place on Monday, June 30, 2008, with the specific intent to answer the question posited above.

Ms. Fredrick advised me that she had been with the Court since 1978, this being her thirtieth (30th) year with the Court. She explained to me that it was during Judge Charles Lowman’s term with the Court that he caused the Guardian Ad Litem program to be initiated to assist the Court with issues of custody, visitation, and other disputed child-related issues, especially for persons who did not have the money to pay for a psychological evaluation of the parties.

While the cost of a private psychological evaluation of the parties and significant others could easily exceed the sum of $2500.00, … Read More... “Understanding the Courts: Family Relations Department of the Domestic Relations Court of Montgomery County, Ohio”

When to Seek Professional Counseling and/or Therapy During a Divorce Proceeding

council.jpgBeing confronted with the fact that a divorce proceeding has been initiated can certainly be disconcerting and upsetting. As a former nurse and having primarily practiced divorce and family law for over twenty years, I would like to share some of my insights. While some parties may be knowledgeable that this action is taking place, other parties may be absolutely caught “off guard”, being unaware that anything was or is amiss. The fact that one party, either Husband or Wife, is placed on notice that a divorce proceeding has been initiated evokes many feelings and emotions. Many persons may need some assistance as they attempt to cope with the emotional roller-coaster they may be experiencing. If either party is having any or all of the following signs and/or symptoms, it may certainly be beneficial to seek some assistance from a family physician, psychologist, and/or counselor.

  1. Inability to sleep soundly and to get a good night’s sleep. If a person is not able to get to sleep and/or is not able to get six to eight hours of sleep per night, that person may begin to exhibit symptoms of sleep deprivation. A person who is sleep deprived will not be able
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Divorce Cases Can Cause Emotional Explosions

emot.jpgDivorce cases can be emotionally devastating to the parties. As a family law attorney, I not only have to evaluate the facts and give sound advice to my client, but I need to use my best set of skills to assess the client’s emotional stability, support network, and anxiety level. Sometimes this is relatively easy and in other cases it is extremely tough.

I am writing about this topic after reflecting about the Dayton Daily News article on August 28, 2008, about the local Trotwood police detective who survived two gunshot wounds inflicted by his wife because she was upset that he was divorcing her. It is so sad that apparently her anger led her to take such an irrational and violent act. I have learned that reaction to a divorce can run the entire gamut, ranging from happiness, paralysis, anger, depression, revenge; and yes, even to murder or suicide. I often spend as much time in a client conference considering the emotional aspects of the client as the legal aspects. While lawyers may be well trained in the law, we are not psychologists or experts in evaluating a client’s mental health. But the more experience we gain as family … Read More... “Divorce Cases Can Cause Emotional Explosions”

Helpful Books For Children Going Through Divorce And Loss

books_ramey.jpgHow do you talk with kids about divorce, depression or death? Many parents have no idea how to even begin such a conversation about serious topics with their children.

Honest and insightful communication is as difficult for kids as it is for most of us. Parents’ questions are often viewed as interrogation, met by silence, “I dunno” or a single word response. Speaking with younger children presents even more challenges. Younger kids have intense feelings and complex thoughts, but just don’t have the vocabulary to translate ideas into words. How can we gain entry into our children’s inner lives and encourage the expression of what they really think and feel?

Children’s books provide a tremendous opportunity to promote such communication.

These are not the same books that many of us read as youngsters. Contemporary children’s literature better reflects the reality and range of issues confronted by many kids. There are books that deal with intense topics of abuse, divorce and death. However, more routine issues such as friendship, forgiveness, fears, nail biting, bedwetting, ADHD, anger and depression are also common themes in many books.

I’ve used stories in working with many kids in therapy. Books give kids a sense that … Read More... “Helpful Books For Children Going Through Divorce And Loss”

The Role and Functions of a Guardian ad Litem in the State of Ohio, Pt. 2

In part 2, Attorney Anne Shale lists four more functions of a Guardian ad Litem in the State of Ohio including her conclusion.

Who pays for the services of the Guardian ad Litem?

The Court has great discretion in determining which party shall pay for the services of a Guardian ad Litem. In many instances, the Court will initially direct each party to pay for one half of the Guardian ad Litem’s fees. Depending upon the recommendations of the Guardian ad Litem, the Court may reserve the right to reallocate or reapportion the payment of the fees for the Guardian ad Litem.

For example, if Mother is asserting that Father is abusive with a harmful dependence upon drugs and/or alcohol and the Guardian ad Litem finds no evidence of same with his/her investigation of the family unit, the Court may direct Mother to pay for all of the Guardian ad Litem’s fees.

What are the “usual” fees for having a Guardian ad Litem?

The “usual” fees will vary from case to case and from Court to Court so the answer is dependent upon the facts of the case and the Court having jurisdiction of the case. In the Domestic Relations … Read More... “The Role and Functions of a Guardian ad Litem in the State of Ohio, Pt. 2”

New Study Concludes that Divorce is Neither Good nor Bad: May Not Cause Kids’ Bad Behavior

Here’s a news flash. The “experts” disagree! Many well-respected studies over the years have concluded that kids are often negatively impacted as a result of their parent’s divorce. However according to Allen Li, of the prestigious RAND Corporation’s Population Research Center in Santa Monica, California, most kids are not seriously affected by the divorce in the long term, but a divorce raises the risk that a child will have future problems. Li presented his findings in Chicago April 26, 2008, at a meeting of the non-profit Council on Contemporary Families.

The study by Li was based upon a large sample-6,332 children. His methodology differed from that which was used by others in the past. He didn’t measure children of divorced parents with children of married parents. Instead, he measured behavior problems such as crying, cheating or arguing frequently, in children ages four to fifteen before and after their parents’ split. He describes it as a “longitudinal approach”. Li found a slight increase in bad behavior on post-divorce children but excluded the finding because it was so slight. In the abstract to his study, Li concludes “that children of divorce would have fared equally well/poor in terms of their emotional well-being … Read More... “New Study Concludes that Divorce is Neither Good nor Bad: May Not Cause Kids’ Bad Behavior”

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