PARENTING AFTER DIVORCE IN MACEDONIAN FAMILY LAW

Abstract

In the text the authors note that in the past decades major changes have taken place in marital and family relations in all European countries, and one of the most significant is the sharp increase in the number of divorces. The authors point out that these changes also bring about significant reforms in the family law systems of European countries with regard to the regulation of parental rights after divorce. The authors analyze the model of parental rights after divorce in Macedonia and state that unlike most European countries, the Macedonian legislation does not provide for the model of joint parental rights after divorce. The text also analyzes the role and competences of the Centers for social work in relation to the exercise of parental rights and proposes a serious reform in this area, with the greater number of competences of the Centers for social work to be transferred to the courts. Also, the authors propose the adoption of the principle of shared parenting after divorce, which is in the best interests of children, as well as the implementation of the principle that the children should have the possibility to express their opinion in all proceedings where the competent authorities are deciding about their rights and interests.