AUTHOR=Martínez-Pampliega Ana , Cormenzana Susana , García-Garnica Ma Carmen , Pellón-Elexpuru Inés , Merino Laura 

TITLE=Lawyer-client relationship in divorce proceedings: development and validation of a new instrument

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1444321

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1444321

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Introduction</title><p>This study is based on the paradigm of collaborative law and the current absence of instruments that evaluate the lawyer-client relationship as a function of the needs of the family system. The objective was to construct and validate an instrument, conceptualizing the lawyer-client relationship as a helping relationship.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Method</title><p>Two groups of experts and 239 parents (58% mothers and 42% fathers), users of Family Visitation Centers, participated in the study. The content, construct, and criterion validity of the instrument, as well as its invariance for both parents, were analyzed.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>The resulting 12-item instrument has been shown to have a two-dimensional structure, invariant for both parents, with high psychometric solidity.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Discussion</title><p>The LCR scale seems to be a valuable and effective measure for use in a legal context, with important correlations with the parents’ psychological well-being, leading to a promising and relevant instrument for the holistic approach to the divorce process.</p></sec>