High-conflict divorce: risk management possibilities (AKOS), No. S-REP-26-11
Project title – High-conflict divorce: risk management possibilities
Project Value – 74 922 Eur
Project duration – 2026 – 06 – 01 / 2027 – 11 – 30
Project number – S-REP-26-11
Project implementer – Mykolas Romeris University
Project partners: VšĮ. Taikos raktai
Project Leader: Dr. Jolanta Sondaitė
Project Objective: to develop a scientifically grounded model for assessing and assisting families going through high-conflict divorces, which would help professionals work more effectively with parents and protect children from the consequences of the conflict.
Project Summary: The study aims to address the highly relevant issue of high-conflict divorces in Lithuania. After analyzing best practices from selected foreign countries in working with high-conflict families, an empirical study will be planned involving parents who have gone through conflictual divorces and professionals who work with parents in high-conflict divorces, with the aim of determining what co-parenting models are applied in Lithuania following high-conflict divorces, analyze the psychological mechanisms and the effectiveness of support methods, and propose a prototype for a support model. During the project, qualitative research will be conducted using semi-structured interviews with parents following high-conflict divorces and specialists who work with high-conflict families (e.g., mediators, psychologists). Based on the data obtained, an analysis of the scientific literature, and an analysis of best practices from selected foreign countries, a practical prototype of a risk assessment methodology will be developed, which will enable specialists to assess the level of escalation of parental conflict, the level of the child’s involvement in the parental conflict, and to select an appropriate support model. The study would directly contribute to meeting the needs of the Ministry of Social Security and Labor by developing long-term solutions for high-conflict divorce cases.
Project outcome: a unified algorithm for interagency cooperation and a proposed model for specialized, case-specific assistance (e.g., individual support for parents, group support for parents, training on the principles of parallel co-parenting, the “VšĮ. Taikos raktai” concept (in cases of severe parental alienation)). This will help ensure support for families, reduce professional burnout and the burden on the legal system, and minimize psychological harm to children.
The project is funded from the state budget and is being carried out under the Applied Research program supported by the Lithuanian Science Council.