As family law professionals, you are often the first line of support for clients navigating one of life’s most emotionally disruptive events: divorce or separation. When conflict is high, the emotional fallout doesn’t just affect your clients—it reverberates through their children, their co-parenting relationships, and ultimately, the progress of the legal case itself.
Structured, evidence-based co-parenting education programs like Children in Between: High Conflict Solutions offer critical tools that help reduce psychological stress, improve communication, and shield children from harm. These outcomes not only serve the family’s long-term well-being, but also reduce conflict that often results in protracted litigation, emergency motions, and repeated court involvement.
High Conflict = High Risk for Mental Health Issues
Family breakdown under high-conflict conditions can deeply impair a parent’s mental and emotional health:
- Nearly 25% of divorcing adults report clinical depression during or after separation (Amato, 2000).
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Chronic anger, anxiety, and emotional reactivity can erode their capacity to parent consistently or communicate effectively with their co-parent.
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Unresolved interpersonal conflict increases litigation costs and delays settlement—often fueled by intense emotions rather than legal disagreements.
Children are also at increased risk:
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Research from the American Psychological Association shows that exposure to parental conflict is the strongest predictor of poor child adjustment—not divorce itself.
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Effects include school difficulties, emotional instability, anxiety, depression, and in adolescents, increased rates of substance abuse and risky behavior (Kelly & Emery, 2003).
These risks can become intergenerational if not addressed early.
How Parent Education Can Be a Mental Health Intervention
Co-parenting classes like Children in Between: High Conflict Solutions are more than just compliance tools—they function as early, preventative mental health interventions. The curriculum:
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Teaches communication and self-regulation techniques that reduce the emotional intensity of interactions.
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Helps parents understand how conflict affects children’s mental health, including practical steps to minimize exposure.
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Encourages perspective-taking and de-escalation, which promotes cooperative parenting even when full collaboration is not possible.
In many jurisdictions, completion of such a course is court-mandated, but clients often approach it with skepticism. Family law professionals can reframe it as a protective mental health measure—for both their clients and the children involved.
To learn more about High Conflict Solutions, visit divorce-education.com/classes/high-conflict-solutions-parenting-class.
Benefits for Legal Professionals and Courts
When clients complete a high-quality co-parenting education program:
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Litigation tends to de-escalate: Clients are less likely to file emergency motions over miscommunications or parenting disagreements.
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Court compliance improves: Parents who understand the impact of their behavior are more likely to follow parenting plans.
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Children are shielded from the worst outcomes: Clients who learn conflict management are better able to prioritize their children's needs over legal “wins.”
Studies have shown that clients who participate in Children in Between: High Conflict Solutions report fewer returns to court, greater emotional regulation, and improved relationships with their children (Gordon & Arbuthnot, 1998).
How to Recommend a Program Like High Conflict Solutions
When referring clients to a class like High Conflict Solutions, you can:
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Frame it as a mental health resource, not just a legal requirement.
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Normalize the experience: "Many clients feel overwhelmed, and this course is designed to offer real skills that help, not just theory.”
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Remind clients it’s child-focused: The goal is to protect children from conflict, not reconcile or blame.
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Provide access information:
Website: https://www.highconflictsolutions.com/
Cost-effective and self-paced (8-hours average completion)
Certificate of completion and bonus resources included
Order FREE parent referral cards HERE.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
As a family law professional, your role extends beyond legal paperwork—you guide clients through one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. By recommending a research-backed, skill-focused parent education program, you’re not just improving legal outcomes; you’re preserving mental health, protecting children, and promoting healing in deeply fractured family systems.
Empowered parents make better decisions—for themselves, for their children, and in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
High-conflict separations increase emotional distress, prolong litigation, and negatively impact children. Co-parenting education programs teach skills like de-escalation, structured communication, and child-centered decision-making—helping clients regulate their emotions, reduce disputes, and protect their children’s mental health.
More To Discover
*Included in SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
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