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second marriage questions

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  • 21-09-2007 7:30pm
    #1
    STEPcoach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭


    Question from an IRISH/American member - what is the stepfamily situation in Ireland?
    I know divorce was only legalised recently, which opened the door for thousands of remarriages (subsequent marriages) and and stepparenting situations. In the US, we are just now tackling this sticky issue effectively.
    I am a certified family mediator, specializing in helping stepfamilies and divorced parents deal with disputes.
    What do Irish stepfamilies do for dispute resolution?


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    #2
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    STEPcoach wrote:
    Question from an IRISH/American member - what is the stepfamily situation in Ireland?
    I know divorce was only legalised recently, which opened the door for thousands of remarriages (subsequent marriages) and and stepparenting situations. In the US, we are just now tackling this sticky issue effectively.
    I am a certified family mediator, specializing in helping stepfamilies and divorced parents deal with disputes.
    What do Irish stepfamilies do for dispute resolution?

    Copious amounts of Booze


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    #3
    Talliesin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,314 ✭✭✭Talliesin


    *boggle*

    We do exactly the same as before divorce could be legally had without spending a fortune on foreign courts, we just get to ratify it legally now.


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    #4
    Tim Robbins
    Registered Users Posts: 8,967 ✭✭✭Tim Robbins


    STEPcoach wrote:
    Question from an IRISH/American member - what is the stepfamily situation in Ireland?
    I know divorce was only legalised recently, which opened the door for thousands of remarriages (subsequent marriages) and and stepparenting situations. In the US, we are just now tackling this sticky issue effectively.
    I am a certified family mediator, specializing in helping stepfamilies and divorced parents deal with disputes.
    What do Irish stepfamilies do for dispute resolution?
    Divorce was enacted around '97 after the '96 referendum.
    It's quite a strict form of divorce, you have to married at least 5 years and be separated for 4 out of the last 5. However you don't have to be legally separated, you can just say you have been separated in mind.
    Before that we had judicial separation which was as close to divorce as you can get. It contains everything including property rights but it did not contain the right to re-marry.
    But, if you were widowed you could always re-marry.

    People still find divorce difficult to accept. For example, my own parents were one of the first in Ireland to divorce and it was tough on all the family.
    How people handle re-marriage varies from case to case, family to family and person to person.

    There's still a good bit of awkardness about it all. My own anecdotal evidence would suggest that people still feel awkard when you say your parents are divorced.

    The Roman Catholic Church do not recognise re-marriage for a divorcee. This means if you wish to re-marry after a divorce it can't be in a RC Church.

    The Protestant Churches have always allowed divorce and re-marriage.

    Does this answer your question?


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    #5
    STEPcoach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭STEPcoach


    really, my question is more about how Irish families (living in Ireland) deal with difficulties in blending new families made up of two previously divorced families. For example wife once divorced with a child from the former marriage and husband also precviously married, with a child from the former marriage. In US, this couple is called a stepfamily, and they face higher divorce rates, as well as increased challenges with the children, ex-spouses, in-laws, etc.

    My question was really about what resources or services are available for this couple in Ireland. Do churches offer support? Are there governmental programs to help settle disputes? Are there community support groups or organizations for them to turn to to strengthen their relationships?

    thanks,


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    #6
    Talliesin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,314 ✭✭✭Talliesin


    STEPcoach wrote:
    In US, this couple is called a stepfamily
    The step- prefix was in Anglo-Saxon since at least the 8th century (though more often spelt steop-, e.g. "Þis sind þa forwyrhto þe Wulfbold hine wyþ his hlaford forworhte. Þæt is ærest þa his fædor wæs forfæren þa ferd he to his steopmoder land ⁊ nam þær eal þæt he þær funde inne ⁊ ute læsse ⁊ mare."), it's not a neolism invented in the colonies.
    STEPcoach wrote:
    Do churches offer support? Are there governmental programs to help settle disputes? Are there community support groups or organizations for them to turn to to strengthen their relationships?
    Yes, yes and yes.


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