Articles around family mediation, advice on separation and divorce, and general guidance to help you through the difficult process
When a couple decide to separate there can be a huge range of emotions that each has to deal with following that separation. When the couple start mediation this can make it difficult to hear each other. How often has somebody started a sentence with something that incenses you so much that you don’t listen to the next bit they say because you are too busy thinking about what you’re going to say next? This can happen in the…
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Divorce or separation can be a daunting time It can seem hugely daunting when you first take steps to look at what will happen following a separation or a divorce (or you may only be thinking of separating from your partner or spouse). There is now a wealth of information on the internet on this subject which varies in its level of accuracy and helpfulness. Much of it focusses on next steps and how to resolve financial issues rather…
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The Family Law Protocol requires all solicitors advising clients about family law to go through their complete list of options with them – even if they don’t offer some of the options as a firm. All clients seeking advice about a family law dispute should therefore have at least a basic understanding of mediation. But often that is all it is. You may have been told that mediation is an option, and you may have gathered that it involves talking…
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How do new family laws affect you? From today various changes in family law are coming in to force. There has already been a great deal of change in recent times in family law with the removal of legal aid for most family matters – although it is important to note that legal aid is still widely available for mediation to resolve family matters. The main three changes are: 1. From today the Statement of Arrangements for Children form…
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Is it really all over? For some people there can be a definite understanding that their marriage is over. They may discover something and feel they can no longer trust their spouse, or they may simply know it is time to turn a new page. For others it is not so clear cut. There may be arguments. There may be a breakdown in communication. There may be a lack of mutual understanding. But is that enough to mean it’s the…
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Make mediation work for you How often have you heard the phrase “my head says this but my heart says that”. Or people talking about whether they make decisions with their head or their heart. They usually mean that they are either an emotion or instinct led decision maker, or more about the facts and the analysis. Sometimes people are a bit of both, or sometimes they make decisions differently depending on what the decision is about e.g making decisions…
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Why family mediation? People often ask us why they should try mediation. So we have compiled our top ten reasons why any separating couple should give mediation a go: 1. You talk to each other directly, usually in the same room. This lessens the potential for misunderstandings and cross communication. Where solicitors are involved and are writing letters on your behalf there is always the potential for a letter to be misconstrued or read differently to how it was written…
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