The first Same Sex Marriage is expected to take place next month. The Marriage Bill (Same Sex Couples) legislation, which had previously divided opinion in government, was far from controversial when Parliament granted Royal Assent last summer. The unanimous approval of the
We all know and understand that each child is different and how he or she handles divorce will be unique to them. Yet we are also probably aware that the reaction that they have will also depend on their age or developmental stage.
Collaborative law is where the couple come together with their own collaborative lawyer and discuss matters fact to face. There are no letters sent. Each client instructs their own collaborative lawyer and they, the clients and the solicitors sign an agreement not to
As a new year begins, many of us will be looking at the year ahead as a time of change. For many parents across the UK, this may also be a time of anxiety and stress; sadly, many family breakups tend to
How to Divorce? I met a wife in mediation a couple of weeks ago who was clutching her twenty page list of chattels she ‘must have’ from the formal matrimonial home. She admitted that it was not really about the chattels but
When it comes to dealing with pain, the strangest thing I ever did to help me move on was to literally speak to myself, out loud, while I got ready for bed one day. I had spent the day, like the previous
Direct Consultation With Children (DCC) in Family Mediation Services Since training to be a family mediator three years ago, several of my children issue mediation cases have led to the parents deciding that they would like to involve their children as part
At the tender age of 37 years old and having just ended my second marriage, I was asked to write an article for The Divorce Magazine and to talk about the struggles I have overcome. Of course I was overjoyed. My first
Separation and Divorce – you don’t have to go through it alone. Find someone you trust to talk to, it will help and it is “good to talk”. There’s a whole host of emotions that surface in times of change; fear, anger,
One of the biggest fears for parents going through separation is the impact it will have on their children. The decision to separate is not usually made quickly or easily and the process of ending a relationship is difficult. This is an
1. What is Family Mediation? This is a process by which divorcing or separating couples come together to discuss issues that they need to resolve once divorce is over such as financial issues and child contact issues 2. How does the mediation process work?
There are many ways to describe what is commonly known as shared parenting but essentially it is an agreement between the parents that they will exercise their parental responsibility over their child equally. It is widely accepted that shared parenting should be
