For most families, Christmas is a joyous time as they get together to enjoy the festive period. This is not the case for many divorced and separated families who may find the festive period stressful as they need to decide who will have the children and when. With merely a month left until Christmas day, it is important for separated parents to plan ahead and agree on how their children will spend time with each parent during the holidays.

Following the provisions under the Divorce Dissolution and Separation act coming into force on 6th April 2022, the latest figures published by the Ministry of Justice over a 12 month period show that 33,566 applications for divorce were made under the new and old law. This is a 22% increase on the same period last year and the highest number of applications in a decade.

The words family mediation are used both in the media and by lawyers on a regular basis however a lot of people are under the misconception that it is a process which people attend to try and reconcile their marriage or relationship and is often the reason why people do not wish to engage in the mediation process.

In April 2022 a new divorce process was implemented under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act, removing the need for couples to assign blame to one party for the breakdown of their marriage.

Divorce, finance and children proceedings are emotionally charged and parties can understandably have a difficult experience (even where parties are able to reach an agreement). Resolution members are trained to conduct proceedings in such a way that animosity is removed from the proceedings where possible and a constructive approach is taken.

A recent case discussed in the Law Gazette evidences the need for a collaborative approach towards divorce proceedings.

With the world opening up following the end of coronavirus restrictions, many parents are looking to take trips abroad this summer for what may be the first time in years but what are the implications for separated parents?

Whilst it is not desired to plan for the end of a relationship, the reality is that sometimes marriages do breakdown and it is often therefore desirable to ensure financial security for you both through creating a prenuptial agreement.