LKW Family Mediation are based in Dorking and cover the Surrey area
I see the strain it puts on my clients going through a separation, writes Michelle Rumsey (family mediator and therapist), and the range of emotions and challenges it brings up for individuals. The loss of so many aspects and changes. There is no doubt during this difficult time looking after your wellbeing is important. I know when I have pressures in my life, I tend to focus on getting through each day and put my own needs to one side.…
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Hands up all the perfect parents out there. What? No-one. That’s right. There are no perfect parents. Hardly groundbreaking news but sometimes it’s worth remembering writes Emma Ingham. Parents are just people, trying to do their best, but sometimes – even a lot of the time – making mistakes. And the feeling of making mistakes can be heightened when you are going through a separation and potentially arguing with your ex-partner. Sometimes these arguments will happen in front of your…
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In a divorce pensions can be one of the biggest assets people have (or even the biggest) but many people put them on the back seat when it comes to working out what happens next. There are understandable reasons for this: unless you are approaching your retirement you are unlikely to be able to access your pension (yes there are rules on potentially taking money from your pensions after the age of 55 but this should only be done in…
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8 Tools from Positive Psychology to help you feel happier after your divorce. Positive Psychology is the science of happiness and is concerned with helping individuals flourish and thrive in life. Whereas traditional Psychology looks at what’s ‘wrong’ with people, Positive Psychology focuses on the positives and negatives equally. It focuses on what’s going well in your life, with your relationships and work and building on your strengths. We’re all hardwired to focus more on the negative things in life……
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In recent years the government has placed a much greater emphasis on separating couples/parents resolving issues outside of the court process wherever possible. This started with the introduction of the requirement to attend a MIAMS (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) a few years back but there have been issues with whether this requirement was policed and what difference it made if you hadn’t. The reasons for it are probably clear to anyone with any knowledge of the family court system…
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It occurred to me the other day that I’ve been blogging about divorce and mediation for over 10 years and I’ve never written about love writes Louisa Whitney. That struck me as being particularly strange given the work I do. It almost feels taboo to be talking about love when you talk about divorce as though you are breaching some unwritten rule. The simple truth is that when your partner tells you they want to separate, or you make the…
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When couples who are going through a separation come to talk about how their children will spend their time for the first Christmas (or in fact any other special day or celebration) it can be a tough ask. It’s a special day and it’s likely you have always spent it with your children. So facing the thought of what to do can mean that one of you won’t see your children on this special day. This is tough and something…
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How can family mediation help with who gets the dog? Family Mediation is known for supporting couples with financial settlements writes Michelle Rumsey and childcare arrangements. As family mediators our roles are not isolated to only financial and children, we incorporate a wide range of other areas. One area in particular that has increased over the years is the family dog and ‘Who gets the dog?’. Dogs are part of the family and may people find the way the court…
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Dealing with the breakdown of a relationship can be heart breaking at the best of times but if you are going through a divorce and you didn’t want to separate, it can be overwhelming. If this sounds familiar, here are a few ways mediation can help; Give yourself time – In mediation, you will never feel rushed into making any decisions or changes until you feel ready. It is your process and mediation will proceed at a pace both parties…
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This is the final part in our blog series looking at what positives there might be following a separation. As we’ve highlighted those going through a separation don’t always see them immediately but it can simply help to know that there might be positives further down the line. The first blog was the introduction and talked about why positives are important, and especially right now during the pandemic. The second blog talked about how there can be an improved relationship with…
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