Separating parents urged to avoid courtroom conflict
Parents who have decided to separate or divorce in 2025 are being urged to find out how to avoid courtroom confrontation to settle money and parenting arrangements.
The first few months of the year usually sees a rise in the number of parents deciding to live apart as the various pressures that go hand-in-hand with the festive period and spending more time indoors is the final straw for relationships.
Sukhi Patter, Senior Associate Solicitor and Family Mediator of David Gray Solicitors wants to raise awareness of the benefits of family mediation, a process that can help ex-partners agree what works for them and their family. She advocates avoiding the court process where possible as it can bring stress, delays and additional costs. She says:
“Many parents feel defeated by the pressures on relationships and finances that have been highlighted during the Winter months with more time spent at home.
“Our specialist family solicitors here in Newcastle upon Tyne find parents in this position simply don’t know which way to turn. Their life-changing decision to separate brings with it so many tough questions:
- Who lives where?
- Where will the children live, and how will we make sure we each spend time with them?
- How will we sort money?
- What about debts and pensions?
- And even the family dog?”
These are tricky issues to sort and offering separating parents information about their options as they try to make arrangements for parenting, property and finance decisions can be crucial to having an amicable as possible separation.
Family mediation is a process where an independent, professionally-trained mediator helps you work these things out, enabling you to avoid courtroom confrontation. Professional mediators help empower you to create long-term solutions for your particular circumstances, rather than leaving it to a court to make decisions for your family.
Contact our specialist family mediation team
Here at David Gray we offer a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM), to arrange a MIAM, or for more information, please contact Louise Law, Family Mediation Co-Ordinator on 0191 232 9547.
