DIVORCE, CHILD-PARENT CONTACTS AND COVID-19 PANDEMIC: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES.

The Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to many economic, political and social problems, has brought significant consequences in the family relations sphere. Single-parent families, especially those divorced, face the problem of non-compliance with decisions made regarding the establishment of contacts and personal relationships with the parent who has not gained custody over the child/children after divorce, a problem that during the pandemic has further deepened. These problems of irregular functioning of divorced families are clearly observed in the Republic of Northern Macedonia. Many parents who do not live with their children have been prevented from meeting them, with the excuse that the child/children might be exposed to the virus when meeting with the other parent, an excuse that has been continuously used by the parent that has the custody. In this paper, the authors provide data from legal practice regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the functioning of divorced families. The authors pay special attention to the current problems that arise in divorced families in non-compliance with decisions regarding contacts with the parent with whom the child does not live; and provide answers to concrete questions regarding possibility for the conflicts between the ex-spouses to have further deepened due to the lack of communication during the pandemic. The paper also focuses on the challenges faced by single-parent families during the pandemic, providing concrete results from the research of cases during the reconciliation procedure of the spouses and their legal and psychological counseling in order to reach an agreement for joint parenthood after the divorce. The Republic of North Macedonia currently has an outdated concept of exercising parental rights after divorce, which has not changed since the enactment of the Family Law Act in 1992, which poses a serious problem for children and divorced parents, especially for the parent who has the right to have contact with the child/children. The authors conclude with concrete recommendations and proposals, highlighting the proposal for the incorporation of the concept of joint parenthood after divorce in the Family Law of the Republic of Northern Macedonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]