Spring Starts and Budget Day

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Since I last posted we have had the Six Nations Rugby championship which Wales won in fine style against England in Cardiff just last Saturday. Ireland didn't win it.

Italy played well at home and were unlucky not to do better away from home.

My friend Mary Beaman died and we buried her near Galway. She was 93. I've known her all my life, all 51 years. She was a beautiful woman, who laughed and chatted and drank a little whiskey and took her faith very seriously. She loved the Catholic Church. I am from a Presbyterian background. She taught me not to judge people based upon my preconceptions of what I decided they believed or thought, but to listen and to treat each person as an individual.

We have had snow. Goodness how we have had snow.

We've had Red Nose Day. How many more children must die on BBC televison before the injections and nets that are needed are provided. What do the countries in which these people live do with their money? yet in a tiome of economic turmoil so much generosity was shown by the people of the UK on RND

In our own country there are children celebrated for being carers of ill parents or grandparents when the truth is their childhood has been stolen from them to save a proper care and support package being delivered by the NHS and local government social services.

Perhaps the most annoying thing was the media storm created by a report from the Legal Ombudsman about complaints by Family clients "The price of separation: Divorce related legal complaints and their causes". One would have thought that the whole system was in a mess and problems were rife. The number of complainants equates to about 0.5% of all those who got divorced in one year. The media loved it. Lawyers ripping off clients was the main angle.

Problems do occur. That's because the process isn't perfect and people aren't perfect.
Costs are a concern. How to keep costs down? Try and do most of the leg work yourself. Don't use the Solicitor as a counsellor. Communicate only as and when necessary. If there are problems then talk to the Solicitor face to face instead of starting an email exchange.

Be realistic about what you can achieve for the money you can afford. Compromise on minor issues (do you really want the goldfish or the porcelain ducks?) and try to isolate the important issues and then compromise on them.

Obviously going to Court may have to be the answer. Some parties just will not compromise. In those circumstances be prepared. The best advice in Court is to remain calm, answer questions succinctly, clearly and honestly and avoid an argument or hysterics.

Listen to the advice of your Solicitor. Dont listen to the advice of well-meaning friends. Just because they have gone through a divorce doesn't make them an expert on pension sharing or child contact issues.

The best advice is to approach the issues through Collaborative Family Law. This is when you and your Solicitor sit down with your spouse and his/her Solicitor and negotiate a compromise.

In relation to contact issues Mediation may be the betetr approach as for you it will be less costly. But when it comes to financial matters our advice is to consider very seriously the Collaborative Family Law route.

Better than going to war and having a huge bill. Watch the video and find out for yourself what it is all about.

Emmersons Solicitors 0191 2846989 and ask for Jacqueline Emmerson or Helen Taylor or Louise Martin.