The inevitable disruption for families

During what is undoubtedly an uncertain time, we’ve been working hard to ensure our clients are still receiving the exceptional level of service we always strive to deliver.

While the world is feeling unsettled, we started to think about our existing clients going through a change in their family life, which brought us to those families dealing with divorce and separation.

For every family, co-parenting is different, and it can often be difficult to manage at the best of times.

Understandably, tensions are high for everyone but especially for those with slightly different family setups. For those going through divorce proceedings, are separated and/or sharing custody of their children, the current circumstances can prove very stressful.

So how do you navigate your family through the uncertainty?

By uncertainty, we mean with regards to any possible changes to our health but also in our work/living situations. As it stands, many of the UK population are moving towards remote working, while also being met with the Government’s decision to close schools, which sees mothers and fathers taking on more than just the role of being a parent.

In usual circumstances, your time at home may be dedicated to being just that but at present, we also need to dedicate time to our professional roles, all from the very familiar setting of our own homes.

Divorced/Separated parents 

For those couples who are divorced or separated, not living together and sharing custody, the main problem you may encounter is ensuring you are both able to work remotely (or still go to your place of work) while managing your respective time with your children.

One important thing to consider is Government guidelines on distancing and isolation and of course, your own specific circumstances will determine how you manage your existing arrangements, which may or may not need to change.

Depending on your job, for example if you work in healthcare or are considered a key worker, your working hours may have changed and may require more support from your ex-partner.

Likewise, if you have been told to isolate, you may also require assistance to ensure minimal change to your family’s routine.

If you’re unsure of how to handle this, we would be happy to help you find a solution.

Separated couples living together

This can certainly be an intense living arrangement without any added pressure and while you may be feeling more unsettled at this time, it is important to minimise any further disruption to your family’s life.

Another factor to consider is the likelihood that whether you live with your ex-partner or not, neither of you will be able to rely on help from grandparents at this time, as they are considered to be at higher risk during the outbreak and have been advised to self-isolate.

At this time, postponements to court dates are also somewhat inevitable and we recognise how this may impact you. We understand that as tensions may rise, you may require the support of a mediator to navigate you towards a solution which suits everyone’s needs.

As always, our focus is on finding solutions for our clients which avoid disruption, suits everyone’s specific needs and is ultimately the best possible outcome for everyone involved.

We understand that at this difficult time you may need more support than usual and we want to assure you that we are still here and working to make stressful situations in your life a much lighter burden to carry.