The pandemic has touched all our lives in many ways, but one of the less mentioned aspects of this time is its impact on our most intimate relationships. Restrictions on movement, job losses, parents working from home and children educated from home have forced us together in ways beyond our control and relationships have been tested as a result. Some have weathered the quality of time and strengthened while others have been pushed to breaking point.
Previous strains such as finances and childcare have been amplified and this has impacted on those parents who may have been separated for a number of years but find that their usual arrangements for child support payments due to loss of work or demands for childcare have changed. Those in abusive relationships have found themselves more at risk and isolated than ever, with support charities recording record numbers of those asking for support.
Whether you separated 6 months ago, 6 years ago, or remain residing in the family home but have acknowledged that your relationship is over, family mediation can help with interim arrangements at this uncertain time. Such are the pressures regarding work or lack of, home schooling vs working from home you may need a short term plan for childcare and/or financial arrangements. If a longer term relationship has broken down where there is property and financial assets to resolve as well as worries about how you will both continue to share parenting roles, there may be ongoing disputes and arguments. Mediators are trained to help with all of these issues and are able to offer you our time and experience from your home or workplace via video call.
You can find a wealth of information online about mediation and what mediators do and don’t do. If either you or your ex-partner are in receipt of benefits or on a lower income at this time, you will qualify for legal aid for family mediation and the service will be free of charge, we’re here to help.
Helen Shea
Accredited Family Mediator
20th Jan 2021
