If you haven’t seen the exciting news then let us share that we are delighted that Louisa Whitney has been shortlisted for Family law Commentator of the year in 2021. Our commentary is a big part of who we are as we are aware that many of those separating cannot always afford to access lawyers and mediators, and rely on information that is posted online and on social media. We also like to talk about the emotional as well as the legal, financial and practical issues in a separation. But we’d like to talk a little about why this is so important to us:
The breadth of topics and the depths we cover
Firstly, our blog has over 200 articles on it. The blog includes practical guidance on how to navigate all aspects of a separation and it also includes more in depth guidance on issues we know people find tricky in a separation or divorce. On many of our blog topics we have covered a particular subject over the course of a month in order to break down the issue into more manageable chunks, and in order for us to be able to give more in depth information.
We know how much this helps those going through a separation who are really trying to keep their legal and mediation costs down and want to access information to manage arrangements themselves wherever possible.
We also talk about the emotional. Why do we do this? Well because the issues that keep divorcing couples stuck in mediation very often aren’t legal or financial ones, they’re emotional ones. Issues such as:
- how can you talk to each other when one or both of you is so angry or upset that you simply can’t keep a lid on how you feel?
- can you really start to make difficult decisions about your future when you can’t even manage to function properly to do a full day at work?
- do you understand that separation initiates a grief process that can take some time to work through?
- you might feel you’re really struggling emotionally, and this might be quite unnerving, or even frightening, if you’re used to managing what life throws at you
- You feel your children are struggling and you aren’t sure how to help them. You may also feel guilty about this as a parent even though it’s not your fault
We have blogged and talked about all these issues and many more on social media. We do this to help you understand that divorce and separation are a significant life event and it’s no wonder that it may have rocked you, and your family. We don’t believe information about separation should be hard to find, difficult to access, or only obtainable by paying for it.
The little guy
We are not a big corporate law firm or organisation. We are a small family mediation practice based in Surrey. From 2013 until 2020 LKW Family Mediation was just Louisa Whitney until Emma Ingham joined. We don’t have a marketing department, graphic designers on stand by. Our commentary is us sharing our thoughts on issues we know from our experience people need to know about. We try to do this in a way that is as engaging as possible. It is us sharing our knowledge in a heart felt way to help you in your difficult time of need.
Don’t get us wrong we’re now dab hands with canva and we know our way round Instagram and other platforms but the whole point is that we hope we are connecting with you. We hope that by looking at our commentary on the website, on social media and in various media outlets you realise that we are trying to share our knowledge in as heartfelt way as possible to help you. You matter to us. We understand what you’re going through because we’ve worked with hundreds of people going through a separation and we know which issues trip people up, and what people find difficult. You may sail over some bumps in the process but then find one that keeps you stuck and being stuck is a frustrating, unsettling and demoralising place to be. By sharing our expertise we can hopefully help you become unstuck and find the light at the end of the tunnel.
The future
We will keep on sharing our expertise widely and freely to keep supporting those going through a separation or divorce. We’re passionate about sharing our knowledge of family mediation and explaining the benefits of the process too. But we don’t just talk about family mediation. We are hugely passionate about enabling those going through a separation to make informed decisions. You can’t make informed decisions without ALL the information so that’s why we talk about ALL dispute resolution process as well as mediation. It’s also why we talk about all aspects of separation and divorce.
If you’ve appreciate our commentary and you’d like to vote for Louisa then you can do so here until 15th October 2021. Click on the link and then select Family law commentator of the year and then “voting open”. We very much appreciate your assistance here.
