05/22/2026
Family law professionals are increasingly working with parents navigating divorce while managing chronic illness, chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, neurological conditions, or invisible disabilities.
Unfortunately, these cases are often misunderstood.
Research shows that chronic stress and high-conflict relationships can significantly worsen physical health, impacting the nervous system, immune functioning, sleep, pain levels, and overall well-being.
Too often, parents with chronic illness are unfairly viewed as “less capable” in custody disputes. A diagnosis does not define parenting capacity. Many chronically ill parents are deeply bonded, emotionally attuned, resilient, and highly adaptive caregivers.
There are also concerning patterns of insurance and financial coercion during divorce proceedings, particularly when one parent relies on ongoing medical care or COBRA coverage.
These cases require a trauma-informed and medically informed approach.
I help attorneys and families better understand high-conflict dynamics involving chronic illness and develop parenting plans that protect both the child’s well-being and the parent-child relationship.
