Family Estrangement: What the Evidence Says and What Helps
Family estrangement is the deliberate loss of contact between relatives who are both still alive. The research supports no reconciliation rate, no US average duration and no validated stage model, so treat estrangement as a status rather than a verdict to appeal. Run two tracks at once: keep exactly one channel reachable without pressure, honoring any stated no-contact request literally, and rebuild the week that has been on hold while you wait.