North Devon family law solicitor Jen Law offers guidance for separated parents with children.
Your children are the most precious things in your life. If you separate from their other parent it can cause an immense amount of stress and upset. This not only affects you and your ex-partner, but is also likely to impact your children themselves.
Children have a legal right to a relationship with both their parents, as well as any step-parents, grandparents and other extended family members. The principle concern of most parents who separate is to find the right balance, though this is not always easily achievable in practice. As a result some parents find themselves in a position where they are unable to see their children due to tensions with their ex-partner.
It is a sad reality that a lot of separated parents end up in the Family Court system, having been unable to resolve their differences. However, taking specialist legal advice about your options early on might help avoid the need for expensive and lengthy court proceedings.
It can often be hard to see the wood for the trees when there is so much going on. Sometimes it feels as though there will never be a time when everything will be better again. That is completely understandable as divorce and separation is one of the most stressful and emotional times that we can ever experience, particularly when you are under pressure to keep yourself together for the sake of children. No parent wants to worry their child, so they often bottle up their emotions to prevent their little ones seeing them upset. That in itself adds to the pressure, and adds to the toll.
Jen Law, an experienced North Devon family law solicitor says:
“We understand that the cost of separation is an additional concern. The last thing you want is to have to find the money to cover expensive court proceedings. It’s therefore important to take the most cost-effective approach, and in most cases that involves seeking early advice from a specialist lawyer to avoid matters escalating. A specialist lawyer can help you take a step back and guide you through this difficult time. You can hand the worry over to us and we will take that strain for you.
We can also provide you with an estimate of the likely costs and help you budget for the legal fees.”
If you would prefer to go it alone then we would recommend that you head to the government website, and read the ‘Guide for separated parents: children and the family courts‘. It runs to 17 pages so it might not be something everyone is going to be ready for, but it does contain some very helpful guidance for those facing these very difficult issues.
