An expert Newcastle solicitor is offering local families a free guide containing advice and information on putting their children first during a separation or divorce.
Kerry Kelso, a senior associate in the family law team at Hay & Kilner Law Firm, is joining with family professionals right across the UK to launch the Parenting Through Separation Guide during Good Divorce Week, which runs from 29 November to 3 December.
Written by a team of family professionals, the free guide provides practical advice for parents on topics including co-parenting with a former partner, managing the common disputes that arise between separating parents, and talking to children about the painful topic of divorce or separation.
The focus of this year’s Good Divorce Week, which is an annual initiative run by family justice organisation Resolution to raise awareness of how families can separate amicably, is parenting through separation.
The most recent official data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that divorces among heterosexual couples rose by 18.4% from 90,871 in 2018 to 107,599 in the following year.
Despite the rise, this still represents a decrease of 34.3% since 1993, the year with the largest number of divorces (165,018).
Kerry Kelso says: “We know that the pandemic has put huge pressure on all North East families, and even more so on those who are separating.
“Every parent wants to put their children’s interests front and centre, but all too often, they don’t know where to turn for help and aren’t given the support they need to do this.
“It’s important for parents to have access to good, authoritative and professional advice that helps them to parent responsibly through their separation.
“We hope all local separating parents will use the Parenting Through Separation Guide to help them find the best way forward for themselves and for their children.”
Juliet Harvey, national chair of Resolution, which promotes a non-confrontational approach to resolving family issues and campaigns for a fairer family justice system, adds: “We’re really pleased to have Kerry and Hay & Kilner’s support during Good Divorce Week.
“Resolution members like Kerry do really important work in their communities to help families separate in the most constructive and amicable ways possible.
“The more families who know about and use the Guide, the better equipped they will be to navigate the challenges divorce and separation brings, particularly when it comes to putting children first.”
To download a free copy of the Parenting Through Separation Guide, please visit the Resolution website