The first working day of the year is frequently termed “Divorce Day” by many a news editor looking to fill up some page space.
Whether “Divorce Day” actually exists is a matter of opinion but there’s no shortage of advice being published for those considering separation or divorce at the start of each year.
One such article was published by the Daily Mail and entitled “New year, new start: How to divorce with dignity”. It was by renowned relationship expert Francine Kaye and well worth a read if you have a moment.
The key point that caught my eye belonged to the section entitled “Stop the lawyers fighting” in which Kaye writes: “lawyers are trained to be litigators, not therapists, so they have to be reminded you are not at war”.
We agree this is a very important point since how you choose to divorce or separate is second only to the decision itself. But at lawyersupportedmediation.com we don’t think it’s up to the client to remind their newly instructed lawyer how to conduct themselves.
The sad fact is that any well-intentioned checklist of divorce dos and don’ts will always be easier said than done.
This is why we only Thiwork with senior family lawyers who recognise the importance of dialogue in reaching consensual agreements. It’s why we offer an approach called lawyer-supported mediation.
The approach provides the professionals that people need to manage the legal, emotional and practical uncertainties that divorcing entails. This resides in combining the complementary strengths of both lawyer and mediator to reinforce the prospects of securing an agreement both parties can live with.
