Examination of family court support for the best interests of children in the process of parents divorce

The purpose of this study is to examine the well-being and best interests of children in family courts during the legal divorce process and how the development of these children is affected in this process. The research was conducted as a qualitative inquiry utilizing a case study design. The study group consisted of 12 professionals specializing in family court proceedings (psychologists, educators, social workers), two family court judges, and three divorce lawyers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, and interview forms were employed, which were designed based on expert opinions. The data analysis was conducted through content analysis methodology. Transcriptions were created from the audio recordings of the interviews conducted with the study group members. Subsequently, line coding was employed to establish codes, which were then categorized based on similarities and connections, resulting in a total of nine categories and two overarching themes. The findings were presented in conjunction with direct quotations to support the interpretations. The analysis of the data revealed that the findings demonstrate family court experts' dedication to safeguarding the best interests of the child, as they consider laws and international treaties, while judges place significant importance on the observations and opinions of these experts. The obtained results also indicate that family court experts write social investigation reports concerning their interviews with children in an objective manner based on their observations and perspectives. Furthermore, they offer various recommendations for taking precautionary measures in the best interest of the child and demonstrate attentiveness to their communication with the children during the interviews. Regarding judges and lawyers, the findings indicate that they also prioritize the best interests of the child by adhering to international treaties, and judges diligently use their specialized authority for the child's well-being. They may even conduct field research to make accurate decisions. On the other hand, the lawyers strive not to defend any situation that is not in the child's best interest and aim to guide the parents towards decisions that serve the child's best interests. These findings have been interpreted within the context of relevant literature, the functioning of family courts, legal regulations, and the characteristics of children in the divorce process. As a result, various recommendations have been provided for researchers and practitioners in the field.