Are separated/divorced same sex families more likely to establish equal coparenting? A preliminary outcome from a court‐based program

• Published date: 01 October 2022
• Author: Tianmei Zhu,Jonathan Alschech,Marsha Kline Pruett
• Date: 01 October 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12679

ARTICLE

Are separated/divorced same sex families more

likely to establish equal coparenting?

A preliminary outcome from a court-based

program

Tianmei Zhu

1

| Jonathan Alschech

2

| Marsha Kline Pruett

3

1

Smith College, Northampton,

Massachusetts, USA

2

University of Northern British Columbia,

Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

3

Smith College School for Social Work,

Northampton, Massachusetts, USA

Correspondence

Tianmei Zhu, Smith College, Northampton,

MA, 01060, USA.

Email: szhu@smith.edu

Abstract

In this article, we examine the impact of inconsistent laws

and possible judicial bias on children's opportunities to

experience interaction and support from all parents, when

those same parents separate/divorce. The Family Resolu-

tions Specialty Court (FRSC) in Massachusetts provides a

model through which procedures support all parents and

minimize bias by engaging parental involvement collabora-

tively. Using exploratory data collected and analyzed from

separated/divorced same sex and heterosexual parenting

plans developed by families in FRSC (N =50; 86% hetero-

sexual, 14% same sex), we examine children's living arrange-

ments regarding daytime parenting time and the number of

overnights with the non-primary parent, as well as the con-

sistency of parenting schedules. Results identified a ten-

dency among same sex parents to establish parenting plans

that were more equal between partners and consistent

across weeks. This small study adds to the emerging

literature exploring coparenting among same sex parents

post-separation/divorce by contextualizing this preliminary

finding and setting the stage for more rigorous analysis of

differences in parenting plans and coparenting post separa-

tion/divorce between heteronormative and queer families.

DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12679

© 2022 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Family Court Rev. 2022;60:855–869. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fcre 855