Advocating for children of separating parents

This article draws upon the author's lay experiences of helping two sets of divorcing parents to retain contact and meaningful relationships between their young children and their non‐resident fathers. It argues that the failure to take account of past parenting practices in divorce proceedings, to grant children party status and to make independent representation available to them, and to offer child‐centred services to help parents to practise shared parenting post‐separation, may contribute to the widespread loss of contact between children and their non‐resident parents, particularly fathers. The Family Law Act 1996 promises little change.