Parents in the UK who have decided to separate or divorce in 2024 are being urged to find out how to avoid courtroom confrontation. The launch of family mediation week (22 – 26 January) encourages parents to settle money and parenting arrangements peacefully.
January usually sees a dramatic rise in the number of parents deciding to live apart. This is due to the various pressures that go hand-in-hand with the Christmas period which can often cause relationship breakdown.
Sarah Manning, chair of family mediation week and partner at Hall Brown Family Law comments: “The purpose of family mediation week is to raise awareness of mediation and its benefits to separating families. Our aim is to encourage separating couples to think about family mediation as a way of helping them take control, make decisions together and build a positive future for their family.”
Sarah goes on to stress that a lot of parents emerge from the festive period feeling defeated by pressures on finances and their relationship.
Sarah went on; “Family mediation week shines a helpful spotlight on these tricky issues, offering separating parents information about their options as they look to make arrangements for parenting, property and finance.”
Hall Brown have made a pledge this year to ‘spread awareness of the benefits of mediation to teachers in local schools’ by issuing copies of ‘Split Survival Kit, 10 Steps for coping with your parents’ separation’ book to local schools.
The book is a 10-step guide for children whose parents are splitting up. It contains expert insight and practical tips from child psychologist, Angharad Rudkin, and is co-written by children’s author Ruth Fitzgerald.
Sarah added: “We hope to support and provide information to teachers, parents and children locally, and that this pledge goes some way in doing so.”
Image: Split Survival Kit, 10 Steps for coping with your parents
