New free parenting guide offered to separating families in the South West

The Family Law Company is offering the new guide for free to local families who are divorcing or separating. The ‘Parenting Through Separation Guide’ is written by family professionals and advises parents of how to put their children first during a separation.

It is being launched during ‘Good Divorce Week’ which runs from 29 Nov - 3 Dec. The campaign is organised annually by national family justice organisation Resolution and this year the focus is on parenting through separation.

As specialist family lawyers, The Family Law Company is offering parents in the South West a free guide that contains advice and information to help them put children first during a separation or divorce.

Managing Director Norman Hartnell, founder of The Family Law Company has joined with thousands of family professionals to launch the guide. He said:

“Simply from our workload and the increased number of enquiries received in the past year, we know that the pandemic has put huge pressure on families, especially 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 in order 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. The Parenting Through Separation Guide is a really useful tool to help them find a better way forward for them, and for their children.”

The free guide contains advice about topics such as how to co-parent with a former partner, the common disputes that arise between separating parents, and how to talk to children about the painful topic of divorce or separation.

Juliet Harvey, national chair of Resolution, added: “I’m really pleased to have The Family Law Company’s support during Good Divorce Week. Resolution members like them do really important work in their community to help families separate in a constructive and amicable way. The more families who know about and use the free Parenting Through Separation Guide, the better equipped they will be to navigate the challenges divorce and separation brings, particularly when it comes to putting children first.”

Here’s an extract of advice contained within the guide:

Top tips for discussing divorce with your children

If your situation allows, try to have a joint conversation when all of your children are present. Keep this age appropriate.

Plan a series of conversations, including different follow up conversations, if your children are different ages. Be mindful that their reactions will depend on their age, developmental stage and their individual personality.

Reassure your children that it is okay to feel sad or scared and showing emotion is good. They can always talk to either of you and ask questions.

Remember you are a role model and your children are watching how you manage this situation. If they see that you are still their parents, making decisions together about them, then they will cope better.

To view the guide online visit Parenting Through Separation Guide