THE old moral imperative that parents must “stay together for the sake of the children” is being superseded by a new trend for couples to live apart — also in the best interests of their children.

Researchers from the University of Leeds have identified a new phenomenon known as LATs (living apart, together) where couples with children from previous marriages enter into a committed relationship but maintain separate residences.

Fiona Williams, Professor of Social Policy for the Economic and Social Research Council’s Care, Values and Future of Welfare group in Leeds, said that the phenomenon marked a clear shift in the lives of post-divorce parents.

“Staying apart for the sake of the children may be part of a new etiquette for divorce,” she told the National Family and Parenting Institute’s conference in London yesterday. “It used to be that married couples had to stay together for the sake of the children, then it was thought that the best thing to do was to remarry. But now more and more divorced parents are forming new relationships, but conducting them on the side as they maintain their own residence, ” she said.

Arguments for having separate homes included the need for each parent to “maintain the integrity of their own relationship with their children” and the difficulties that they can encounter by assuming the role of parent to someone else’s children, Professor Williams said.

Divorced parents may also worry about repeating mistakes of past relationships.

The conference also heard that cohabitation and single parenthood were becoming increasingly prominent family living relationships in Britain.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Oh no, Mr Darling: you have failed
• BBC survives dogfight over Kennel Club expose
• Where the Rosetta belongs can’t be set in stone