What to do if the end of the summer means an end to your marriage

The month of September signifies the arrival of autumn and the return to school after the long summer break. However, for couples who were already feeling the strain, the end of the school holidays can mean the end of the marriage.

During the summer, families often take holidays and spend more time together, often in the hope that this will re-ignite and salvage the relationship, however, unfortunately this prolonged period of togetherness can also amplify pre-existing marital issues. Couples may find that holidays and increased family time bring underlying problems to the surface. The long break away from the usual routines can place huge burdens on fragile relationships, and when coupled with the increased costs of holidays and extra childcare it can simply be too much.

The start of the new school year can represent a fresh beginning for families and with children returning to school, the structure of daily life changes. This transition can prompt couples to assess their relationships and contemplate whether they want to continue in the current situation or seek a divorce. Parents may choose to wait until after the summer to file for divorce to make the transition to a new family dynamic smoother for their children.

If you feel that you have reached the end of your marriage, the family law team at Venters Solicitors are here to help. We know that you will have lots of questions at this time such as where the children will live, how will you sort the finances and what should you do about debts and pensions.

At Venters we offer a fixed fee divorce package, which includes comprehensive, tailored advice and our family law experts will manage the entire process on your behalf. Alongside this, we can also help you to negotiate your financial settlement. It is especially important to consider your financial position and to obtain legal advice in relation to your finances before you obtain a Final Order of divorce. You may lose certain financial rights if you do not do so.   You may also need to consider arrangements for any children, and we can assist you by advising and arranging for the appropriate child arrangement orders to be put in place.

Mediation is also another popular route to making key decisions following the end of a marriage. Mediation is a voluntary process that helps you to agree what will work for you in terms of children, property and financial arrangements. Once the mediation is complete, your solicitor will put the relevant orders in place to formalise what you agreed in the mediation.

At Venters our team of independent, professionally-trained mediators can help you come up with a solution whilst avoiding the stress, delay and cost that the court process can bring. Mediation allows you to take control, rather than leaving it to a court to make decisions for your family.

The government’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme provides up to £500 to help separating couples make settlements using family mediation. For more information click here.

We are here to help you every step of the way as you move forward independently into the future.