Surrey Homes | SH51 | January 2019 | Wedding supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />
Surviving the Holidays<br />
Specialist divorce and family lawyer Jessica May of Peters May answers your<br />
questions ahead of the festive season.<br />
Q. If you are divorced or separated how do you sort the arrangements for the<br />
children over the holiday period?<br />
A. This can be a particularly stressful time if you are divorced or separated<br />
and you need to agree the arrangements for the children. How much time<br />
should the children spend with each of you? What if one parent wants to<br />
travel abroad with the children over Christmas? Try and agree the<br />
arrangements concerning the children early. Don’t leave it until December.<br />
It is far better to sort out disputes directly with your former partner and<br />
reach an acceptable agreement. Try and have a parenting plan and go<br />
through your respective diaries to see what is fair and what works for all<br />
of you. There is no formula or one size fits all.<br />
What do the children want? If you simply can’t agree then you might<br />
need professional help such as mediation, assistance from a solicitor<br />
or even from the court. A parenting plan in the form of an annual<br />
diary, with the children and each adult knowing where the children are<br />
over each holiday for the next year works well. Each parent will need<br />
to compromise and put the interests of the children first. If a parent<br />
wishes to take the children abroad they need the consent of each<br />
person with parental responsibility, usually the other parent. If this<br />
is not given, they need the permission of the court. A very standard<br />
arrangement at this time of year is alternating Christmas Day each<br />
year between parents. Try and agree your contact arrangements<br />
a year ahead, probably every December for the following year but<br />
recognise that both parents need to be flexible and sometimes<br />
contact dates have to be changed on both sides.<br />
Q. I have decided to get divorced in the New Year. What do I do?<br />
A. Often people do not want to upset the home over the<br />
festive season even if they are very unhappy. However,<br />
once the holidays are over there are an increased<br />
number of divorce petitions filed at court. Things to do if<br />
you have sadly decided that there is no way forward<br />
with your marriage:<br />
• Find your marriage certificate. You will need that.<br />
• Take some time to make sure this is what you want.<br />
• Get some initial advice from a specialist family<br />
solicitor so that you know your rights, find out<br />
what a court would do and find how much it<br />
will cost you to get a divorce.<br />
• Discuss your options with your solicitor. You<br />
might need to see several solicitors before<br />
you find one that is right for you.<br />
• Gather your financial documents.<br />
• Develop your support network to help<br />
you through a difficult time.<br />
Jessica May of Peters May LLP,<br />
www.petersmay.com<br />
Tel: 020 3036 0058.<br />
Consultations in London<br />
and <strong>Surrey</strong>.<br />
*The above should not be considered legal<br />
advice as each case depends on its own facts.<br />
Please obtain independent legal advice.
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