When going through a divorce it is easy for animosity between parents to develop exponentially, often to the detriment of the entire family, including the children. This can lead to the children’s needs being forgotten when in fact it should be one of, if not the most important consideration during the divorce proceedings.
CAFCASS, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, announced the release of the update to the “Top Tips for parents who are separated” with the aim being that every child’s voice should be at the centre of the proceedings about them. This includes hard listening and ensuring not only are the children’s voices being heard, but also that they are understood.
The Top Tips are a list of Dos and DONTs written from a child’s perspective here.
Some examples include:
- Remember it is okay for me to love and have a relationship with my other parent.
- Keep me informed about any changes to my arrangements.
- Remember I have the right to see both my parents as long as it is safe for me to do so.
Whilst the tendency can often be to blame one another for the irretrievable breakdown in the relationship and therefore attempt to compensate for this by way of monetary assets, it is important to note that often the reason a focus is placed on assets is to provide for the children and to ensure their needs are met in the future. This can include essentials such as food, clothing and school fees to luxuries such as holidays abroad. Ultimately the priority is to ensure that the lives of the children are not unduly affected by the separation.
Ultimately however a child’s mental welfare should be paramount and ensuring that every step taken takes this into account can ensure that they have an ongoing relationship with both parents following the separation.
If you would like to discuss the financial consequences of marriage breakdown, or any other family law matters, please get in touch with our family team to arrange a free, no obligation 30 minute telephone consultation. You can contact the team on 01484 821500 or send us an email to arrange your free consultation. We’re #HereToHelp.