Research Into Practice: Grandparents, Older Adults and the Modern Family System

Grandparents, Older Adults and the Modern Family System

How should family law professionals think about intergenerational relationships?

Event Description

Research into Practice is ICCFL’s monthly professional conversation where contemporary research meets the realities of practice.

This month we explore a deceptively simple question:

What role should grandparents and older adults play in the lives of modern families?

For many children, grandparents provide stability, identity, continuity and emotional security. For others, intergenerational relationships become another arena for conflict, gatekeeping and litigation.

At the same time, older adults themselves may become increasingly vulnerable as families change. Questions of autonomy, chosen family, elder abuse, caregiving and legal recognition are becoming central issues for family law professionals.

Drawing on two outstanding recent publications from Family Court Review, we’ll examine:

• The protective role grandparents can play in children’s lives
• When grandparent involvement supports — or undermines — children’s best interests
• Intergenerational resilience and family identity
• Elder justice and the rights of older adults
• Chosen family and LGBTQ+ ageing
• What these developments mean for mediators, family dispute resolution practitioners, family consultants, lawyers and judicial officers.

As always, this is not a journal club.

Together, we’ll critically examine the research, compare it with our own professional experience, and ask the question that sits at the heart of every Research into Practice session:

What does this mean for the work we do every day?

Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your experience as we explore one of the most important—and often overlooked—dimensions of family systems.

Less journal club, more professional conversation—where research meets the realities of practice.

Research into Practice is ICCFL’s monthly **Community of Practice**, bringing together family law professionals from Australia and around the world for an engaging Lunch & Learn conversation where contemporary research is explored, challenged and translated into everyday practice.

Each session centres on one or two recent journal articles, book chapters or significant publications relevant to family law, family dispute resolution and child and family practice. Together we examine the authors’ ideas, findings and recommendations, asking one practical question:

What does this mean for the work we do every day?

Research often looks backwards—examining what has happened, analysing data and drawing conclusions.

Research into Practice looks forward.

Together we explore the strengths, limitations and practical applications of emerging research, translating evidence into meaningful strategies for working with children, parents, families and professionals.

These sessions are intentionally conversational. Bring your lunch, your curiosity and your questions. Whether you are an experienced practitioner or new to the profession, Research into Practice offers a welcoming space to stay current with emerging knowledge, engage in thoughtful discussion, expand your professional network and contribute to a growing community committed to reflective, evidence-informed practice.

Every Research into Practice session also contributes to the development of new ICCFL professional resources. Participants are invited to share ideas, questions and reflections that help shape future practice tools, learning resources and professional artifacts for the wider family law community.

As part of ICCFL’s membership with the Australian Copyright Agency, participants receive access to the published materials discussed during each session.