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Young children experienced marked insecurity and grief after parental divorce and perceived legal professionals as exacerbating difficulties

Main findings The young children had complex personal views about divorce and legal processes. Children from higher conflict families showed more stress, anxiety, a constricted sense of the world and their future, and greater fears. 3 themes emerged from the play sessions: (1) back and forth between houses and preoccupation with accidents, (2) lawyer play and courtroom drama, and (3) concerns about security at home with fears of loss, harm, and loneliness. In the courtroom scenarios the children explained that judges are paid to decide things when nobody else can and wanted them to make adults behave. Lawyers were depicted as pirates, vampires, or wolves who scared children and stole money from parents. Every child described a change in their father, some for the worse, particularly in high conflict families. Most children felt deep sadness and loss about the permanent damage to their parents’ relationship. Most children expressed confusion about what divorce actually was. Some saw it as killing the family. Blame, loss of trust, and fear of separation and abandonment were frequent themes. There was confusion about lawyers and different court personnel and whether they could be trusted. Definitions of judges were often negative because they were unable to prevent the divorce and conflict despite their authority. All children described ways to improve the process such as the judge listening to the children, and lawyers being truthful and not frightening children about separation. Conclusions Young children from divorced families had many negative feelings and confusion surrounding their parents’ divorce and could express their views through play. The results suggest that clinicians should help parents to be sensitive to young children’s feelings and needs, using age appropriate information about the divorce process.