If you are reading this, then it is likely that you or somebody you love is about to begin the very painful process of obtaining an official dissolution of a marriage by way of getting a divorce.
Understanding divorce, all the options available to you and making a good decision about how you and your former partner will handle things during this painful period will save you a great deal of time, money and heartache.
In much the same way as the finality of a funeral follows some time after a painful bereavement, the legal act of getting a divorce is a process that we have to endure long after the often incredibly difficult realisation that what was once a deeply fulfilling and important relationship has now come to an end.
Unfortunately, we’re no longer in sixth form. When adult relationships end it isn’t enough just to write a note to each other saying “I don’t like you anymore” and expect that to be the end of it. No, unfortunately there are a great number of legal, practical, moral and emotional dilemmas to overcome. Traditionally, these dilemmas have meant that getting a divorce has been an incredibly complicated task full of battles, trauma and expensive legal representation. Worst still is that more often than not this type of divorce leaves people with an outcome where everybody feels they’ve lost.
The good news is that times have moved on, and whilst that type of divorce is still easily available to those who want it, there are a number of other options available (such as family mediation and collaborative law), that can enable those getting divorced to have a very different experience indeed.
Over the coming weeks, this series of blogs will address each of these dilemmas (as well as a number of solutions) in turn. We will help you in better understanding divorce and the processes involved as well as provide an overview of what you will need to address, the options you have for addressing them.
If you would like more information on anything within this series, please contact us at New Landscape Mediation on 01279 211657. With offices on the Herts/Essex border near Stansted airport as well as conveniently located within Stafford Young Jones Solicitors in central London we can arrange a meeting time and place that is best suited for your personal requirements.
Read the rest of our Understanding Divorce Series here:
Understanding Divorce Part 1: A General Overview
Understanding Divorce Part 2: Grounds for Divorce
Understanding Divorce Part 3: The Five Facts: Adultery
Understanding Divorce Part 4: Unreasonable Behaviour
Understanding Divorce Part 5: 2 Years’ Separation