Reflecting on your relationship in the New Year
15/01/10
Reflecting on your relationship in the New Year
Friday 15th January 2010
A relationship breakdown can be one of life’s most difficult experiences. Hurt, bitterness and anger are often the strongest feelings, coupled with the stress of moving into the unknown, both personally and financially, and the impact on children.
However, once you have made the decision, the key is to get the right guidance and support to ease the pain of the breakdown and resolve the issues in the best way possible for your family.
Traditionally, when couples separate they will each take advice from specialist family lawyers. An experienced family lawyer can play a big part in supporting and guiding you through the processes and helping to sort out issues involving the care of the children, the home and the finances.
Solicitors, like AES Winterbothams, who are members of Resolution follow a code of practice committing them to resolving disputes in a non-confrontational way designed to preserve people’s dignity and to encourage agreements. Within this process there are opportunities for you to work out solutions more directly with your former partner.
Family Mediation is a form of negotiation where separating couples try and reach agreement together about the arrangements for the future that they feel is fair and both can live with. You each retain your own legal advice and your lawyer can help you draw up a formal agreement or order for the Court at the end of the mediation process.
Collaborative Law involves you and your former partner sitting down together with your lawyers working things out face-to-face to reach the best solutions for you and your family, focusing on the important goals and especially the children.
These approaches are not right in every circumstance, but for couples who genuinely seek a fair outcome and want to minimise the pain of family breakdown they can be part of a positive solution.
Our Family law team provides constructive advice on all aspects of matrimonial and family problems and issues. These include;
Divorce
Civil Partnership
Finance
Children - contact, residence, parental responsibility
Care proceedings/adoption/special guardianship
Unmarried couples separation
Violence/abuse in relationships
Hague Convention - child abduction issues
Pre-nuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements
The team has been awarded a Specialist Quality Mark by the Legal Services Commission and can provide legal aid advice where appropriate. We are also able to provide a fixed fee first interview for clients who are not eligible for legally funded advice and can meet with you at either of our offices in Stroud or Nailsworth.
For advice or further information, please contact Judi Bonham, Beth Evans, Fiona Thornton or Tim Adkin on 01453 847207 or e-mail jbb@aeswinterbothams.com. This article provides a general overview and cannot be relied upon in any particular case.