Blended families don't tend to last long

Two-thirds of blended families split up again within five years, according to a study by the association of family and inheritance lawyers and divorce mediators vFAS. The chances of survival depend a lot on whether exes on all sides make good agreements about care tasks and finances, the association found, AD reports.

Without clear communication and agreements, a lot can go wrong in blended families. According to vFAS, 44 percent of ex-partners don’t contribute to the costs of the child, and 62 percent of children are not involved in making important decisions.

When a couple gets divorced, they often make a parenting plan. But the parenting plan is too focused on the divorce and not on what happens after, vFAS chairman Alexander Leuftink said to AD. Tensions that arise due to poor communication with the ex or the new partner can be disastrous for the blended family in the long run.

The results of this study show that parents need to look beyond the divorce itself. “Now it often says that the child can’t call a new partner mom or dad, but nothing has been arranged about the future care tasks,” Leuftink said. Making agreements on how child support will be adjusted if one of the exes gets a new partner can also go a long way toward preventing future tensions, he added.