Gardner Leader

When the Festive Season takes its toll on families

Christmas and New Year should be such times of happiness and family togetherness. However, they do bring additional stresses and strains for many families as financial budgets are often stretched to the limit, extended family members may have to be catered for, and many take time to reflect on their current situation be it at home or at work.

Seona Myerscough is a Partner in the Family Law Team at Gardner Leader Solicitors in Newbury and has a wealth of experience in resolving family disputes that arise in the aftermath of the Christmas and New Year period.

My experience shows that if a family is in crisis prior to Christmas, then sadly it is unlikely to be helped by the challenges that Christmas brings. I sincerely hope that this article is not echoing your feelings, but if it is, then the New Year is when you might feel that the time for change has come.

If you are feeling this way, then you need to know what options are available to you. You might be pleased to know that it is not just a choice between doing nothing and going to Court. Family law is continuously developing and there are a number of ways forward.

Everyone’s situation is different and if you have the time and the means, it would be worth taking a look online at some of the information that is available. However, there is no substitute for meeting with a specialist Family solicitor, who is preferably a member of Resolution; their website is www.resolution.org.uk. Resolution is an organisation of approximately 5,000 Family Lawyers who are committed to a constructive resolution of family disputes.

There is not sufficient space in this article to detail all of the options available to you, and any options suggested will need to meet your particular circumstances and needs. However, I can headline some of the choices that your lawyer should be able to discuss with you:

1) Mediation, which enables you as a couple to meet together with one or two mediators to work to reach an agreement. In the Berkshire area a source for information on Mediation can be found at  www.familymediationhelpline.co.uk.

 
2) Collaborative Law, this is a relatively new process but it is starting to make inroads in the Berkshire area and the local solicitors who are part of this process can by found at the website www.virtuallawpractice.com . This process is a form of alternative dispute resolution, and you have four-way meetings with both of your solicitors present; an important part of the process is an agreement not to go to Court.

If your solicitor does not mention these options and considers their suitability, then don’t be afraid to ask.

At Gardner Leader our Family Solicitors are all members of Resolution and will look at your personal circumstances before suggesting all of the appropriate options open to you.

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