STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

Courts failing children of divorce, says lawyer

- LOUISE BATY

With Kim Kardashian and Kanye West locked in a custody battle, we ask, how does divorce impact children?

Break-ups are hard on everyone involved but, with 42% of marriages ending in divorce and half of those involving children under 16, how does it feel for kids caught between warring parents?

Recently, Kim Kardashian, 44, and her ex-husband, Kanye West, 48, clashed over the co-parenting of their children, North, who turns 12 this week, Saint, nine, Chicago, seven, and Psalm, six.

While the couple currently share joint legal and physical custody, since their eight-year marriage ended in divorce in 2022, the four children live primarily with Kim. She is said to be considering applying for sole custody, due to Kanye's erratic behaviour.

In one recent expletive-filled online rant, Kanye claimed he was being blocked from seeing his children. 'I'm talking to the lawyers,' he blasted, seemingly accusing Kim of engineering North's fledgling singing career behind his back.

With research finding that children of divorce are likely to suffer anxiety and depression, how can families navigate such a stressful time, and can children ever recover from growing up seeing their parents at war? Woman's Own investigates...

I never felt that I had a proper home'