September peak time for family break ups

It is well known that January is a busy time for divorce lawyers. But David Winnett, Family Lawyer and Mediator at Hopkins Solicitors points out that September is an even busier time for him and his colleagues.

David says “September, even more than the New Year, (which the media tend to focus on,) produces more new divorces and separations than other times of the year.”

The causes of each break up vary but can include:

• Families thinking that they’ll get through one more holiday for the sake of the kids before doing something about it.
• Others use the family holiday which is normally taken in August as the final chance to mend things, and if that fails they seek advice.
• Similar to the New Year, the long break over the summer can mean couples spending more time in close proximity, which in turn puts pressure on an already strained relationship.
• There is the psychological association of ‘new academic year, new start’.

David adds “Whilst a separation is never easy, modern ways of tackling the legal issues around a break up, such as Mediation and Collaborative Law, can save time and money compared to fighting it out in Court. Even more importantly, the process is not so distressing for the parties involved, including their children.”

In Collaborative law the couple is each advised by their own lawyer next to them. In Mediation, a single Mediator is present. The common factor in both is : a Court battle is avoided and both parties, who have different interests, can jointly decide their own outcome, amounting to the best option, in difficult circumstances, for all involved.