News and information about collaborative family law from our members in the north of England.

There are key differences between mediation and collaborative law and the ways each are used to find a solution in a dispute. Brighter Future member Emma Beddoe explains.

When you find yourself in a room with 80 people, it’s not even 10am and you’re all playing a children’s party game, it can mean only one thing: it’s the annual Northern Lights conference...

Would you hand over control of your life to someone else? Someone who doesn’t know you? Would you let them make vital decisions about your finances, or where you and your children will live? If the answer is no, read on...

When your relationship or marriage has broken down beyond repair, the idea of talking to your ex to work out what's going to happen with your lives, your children, your home, your finances can feel like a step too far. But it's good to talk, and here's why.

The fallout from relationship breakdown is far reaching. You’re making and coming to terms with life-changing decisions as you navigate incredibly difficult times and work towards creating ‘a new normal’ for yourself and for your family. Having people around you who can help you through makes a real difference. 

If you’ve heard of collaborative family law at all, the chances are it’s been linked to divorce. But collaborative law isn’t just about supporting people through separation. It can also help to set a relationship or marriage off on a positive footing. 

David Leckie and Clare Thornton launched DivorceHotel UK in York in March 2017 to considerable media attention. Here, they explain how it works and how family professionals can get involved.

Family consultants (divorce or relationship coaches, for instance) are increasingly working alongside solicitors to provide emotional support to clients and help expedite the legal process. Ahead of her workshop at the annual Northern Lights conference, divorce coach Danielle Barbereau explains where and how a coach can support the collaborative process. 

Where would you turn if you were faced with the prospect of divorce? A financial adviser? A solicitor? An accountant? Collaborative family lawyer Nicki Mitchell discusses how collaborative law can help give you clarity and stop you going round in circles. 

Stephen Root, family partner at Berwins Solicitors reflects on ten years as a collaborative family lawyer, and the benefits of the collaborative process for separating couples.

When it comes to achieving a collaborative outcome that works for everyone, the importance of communication cannot be underestimated, says collaborative family lawyer and mediator, Sue McArthur.

Sharing care of children with a smile on your face over the festive period can seem an insurmountable task, especially if feelings are raw and emotions are bubbling under the surface leaving everyone on edge. So just how do you do it?  

Did you know it’s Good Divorce Week? We’ve talked previously about whether there is such a thing as a ‘good’ divorce (we think there is), and this week is all about promoting the Resolution Code of Practice. ‘The Resolution what?’, we hear you cry…let us explain.

It’s inevitable that divorce will feel like the end of something, but the way you divorce can help you see a way forward and feel instead that you are approaching the start of something new. It can be hard to see, when wounds are still raw and everything feels uncertain, but looking ahead to the future can help you make better decisions in the here and now.

In order to care responsibly for our clients we need to recognise and respond to our own needs as well, and so learn to distinguish self-care from its much more dangerous shadow, self-sacrifice. As this year's Northern Lights conference gets underway, speaker and psychotherapist, family mediator, supervisor and trainer Chris Mills looks at self-care for family professionals.        

It is said that bad divorces never end; the conflict goes on forever and can affect families and friends – not to mention the separated couple themselves - for years to come. But it’s equally true that, with the right mindset, it is possible to separate with dignity and create a more positive basis from which to move forward with your lives. Find out how.

One of the things we hear a lot as lawyers when couples are divorcing is that they feel powerless, and not in control of what’s happening to them. Letting a court decide on your future is essentially handing over control to someone who doesn’t know you or your family. Find out how collaborative law differs.

If you presented the same information to six different people and asked for their opinion, what are the chances that their responses would all be the same? The same applies when it comes to asking a judge to rule on the details of your divorce. Find out how you can sort things out by staying out of court.

It's Collaborative Family Law Week (3-7 October), and we'll be publishing a series of daily posts this week to help you understand how the collaborative approach works, and its benefits. To start things off, we're looking at how working together can result in a less acrimonious separation.

Communicating effectively and constructively is a vital skill when repairing or improving your relationship with your partner. It may be that you want to put things back on a loving and supportive footing, or that you have separated but need to continue to work together to look after your children. Relationship coach Claire Walters offers some practical advice for improving communication.

We’re often asked as collaborative lawyers whether, in reality, a couple who are going through a separation or divorce - which is rarely an amicable process - can sit together in the same room and resolve the issues they need to resolve. We know they can, and here's how.

The state pension is changing. Pre April 2016, an ex-wife could claim credits against her husband’s National Insurance record if she had insufficient qualifying years without affecting his basic rate, but this is no longer the case. Brighter Future member and chartered financial planner Elaine Gwinnett looks at how this could impact on divorcing couples.

Research findings released this week by family law group Resolution show that around eight out of ten children and young people with experience of parental separation or divorce would prefer their parents to split up if they are unhappy, rather than stay together. What we found most interesting from the poll of young people aged 14-22, is that their feedback showed it’s not divorce itself, but the way it’s handled, that has lasting impact.

If you've ever wondered how family arbitration can help resolve issues around divorce, here's a first hand account of a successful arbitration from collaborative family lawyer, mediator and arbitrator, Clare Thornton ahead of her workshop at the Northern Lights conference in York next month.

Andrew Pearce will be running a workshop on mindfulness at the Northern Lights conference for family lawyers, mediators and other family professionals on 2 October in York. Here, he shares some thoughts on the topic.

In a week where keeping family disputes out of court is at the forefront of many people's minds, we look at the alternatives to court that are available to separating and divorcing couples.

Next week is National Family DR Week, but what does that mean for separating families and couples?  Read on to find out.

A court-based divorce leaves key decisions about your family’s future in the hands of people who know very little about you and your family circumstances. Surely there’s a better way?

It’s not uncommon to hear people say that they can’t bear to be in the same room as their ex when they are separating or divorcing. But can they resolve the issues around their separation by collaborating online?

Recent research shows that the average divorce takes six months to complete, which is 10% longer than it took 12 months ago. Find out how avoiding the courts puts you in the driving seat, allowing you to take control of your family's future, rather than being left at the mercy of an overloaded family justice system.

You may have read or heard that using the collaborative process to work out the issues arising from your separation doesn’t necessarily just involve you and your lawyers. Here, experienced family consultant Andrew Pearce shares his experience of working with couples using the collaborative process.

You may have heard in the news recently that couples who want to use the courts to resolve the issues around their divorce must now attend a compulsory Mediation Information and Assessment meeting (MIAM). Here's a guide to MIAMs and what they mean for separating couples.

Our members are often asked "What's the difference between collaborative law and mediation?" by people who are interested in exploring alternatives to court, so we thought it would be useful to share a few key differences between the two processes.