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the advice that i i give my clients
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is to try to minimize the conflict if
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you can
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and i talk to them a little bit about
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the social science about children who
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are in conflicted parental systems
00:20
and i tell them that it is it’s hurting
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your children if you put the children in
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the middle of a custody fight
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they’re the they’re the ones who suffer
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the most and and the social science is
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clear on this i’ll give you an example
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say you’re at a soccer game or some
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other activity of the children all right
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and mom’s on one side of the field
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and dad’s way over on the other extreme
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side of the field and they’re they’re
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watching the game
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but they’re not
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acknowledging each other at all they’re
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not hanging out
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with the group of parents that are
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supporting that team
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at the end of the game
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that child
01:00
is going to look at one parent over here
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and he’s going to look at the other
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parent over there and he’s going to
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wonder
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if i go to the parent on my right am i
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going to make the parent on my left mad
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and vice versa
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they’re the ones that are going to take
01:14
on this conflict that’s going on between
01:17
the parents
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now the other example is
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say the parents are
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standing at this game
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they’re not like right next to each
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other although i’ve seen that happen
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but they’re in the group of parents
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they’re on the same side of the sideline
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they’re within 20 30 feet of each other
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the end of the game the child comes over
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both parents go to greet the child they
01:39
congratulate him they give him a hug or
01:42
her a hug they ask him a couple
01:44
questions and then
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it’s time for the parenting for the
01:47
child to go with whoever has parenting
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time
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after the game and off they go
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now that’s the kind of relationship that
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i try to influence my
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clients to create with the other parent
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because the social science is clear the
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kids
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whose parents are getting along
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and behaving the way i just described
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those are the kids that are going to
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graduate on time they’re going to do
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well in school they’re not going to be
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suicidal they’re not going to have drug
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use issues they have a chance
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to succeed in life that’s a lot higher
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than the kids in the conflicted
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relationships and that that’s just a
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fact
Minneapolis, MN family law attorney Michael Fink shares the advice he gives clients who are fighting for custody of their children.