Good Divorce Week – New Free Parenting Guide Offered to Separating Families

Press Release

• Kathryn Ainsworth from Machins Solicitors is offering the guide for free to local families who are divorcing or separating
• The Parenting Through Separation Guide is written by family professionals and advises parents of how to put their children first during a separation
• The guide is launched during Good Divorce Week which runs from 29 Nov – 3 Dec, run by national family justice organisation Resolution
• This year the focus of Good Divorce Week is parenting through separation

Law firm, Machins Solicictors, is offering parents in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire a free guide that contains advice and information to help them put children first during a separation or divorce.

Machins Solicitors joins with thousands of family professionals to launch the Parenting Through Separation Guide during Good Divorce Week, an annual initiative by the family justice organisation Resolution to raise awareness of how families can separate amicably.

Kathryn Ainsworth, Head of Private Family Law at Machins said:

“We know that the pandemic has put huge pressure on families and even more so on those who are separating. Every parent wants to put their children’s interests front and centre, but all too often they don’t know where to turn for help and aren’t given the support they need in order to do this.

“It’s important for parents to have access to good, authoritative and professional advice that helps them to parent responsibly through their separation. We hope all local separating parents will use the Parenting Through Separation Guide, to help them find a better way forward for them, and for their children.”

The free guide is available to any parent seeking help during their separation. It contains advice about how to co-parent with a former partner, background on the common disputes that arise between separating parents, and how to talk to children about the painful topic of divorce or separation, plus much more.

Juliet Harvey, national chair of Resolution, said:

“I’m really pleased to have Kathryn’s support during Good Divorce Week. Resolution members like her do really important work in their community to help families separate in a constructive and amicable way. The more families who know about and use the free Parenting Through Separation Guide, the better equipped they will be to navigate the challenges divorce and separation brings, particularly when it comes to putting children first.”

Here’s an extract of advice contained within the guide:

Top tips for discussing divorce with your children

• If your situation allows, try to have a joint conversation when all of your children are present. Keep this age appropriate.
• Plan a series of conversations, including different follow up conversations, if your children are different ages. Be mindful that their reactions will depend on their age, developmental stage and their individual personality.
• Reassure your children that it is okay to feel sad or scared and showing emotion is good. They can always talk to either of you and ask questions.
• Remember you are a role model and your children are watching how you manage this situation. If they see that you are still their parents, making decisions together about them, then they will cope better.

Notes to editors:

1. Good Divorce Week takes place between 29 November – 3 December and this year’s theme is Parenting Through Separation.
2. Resolution is a membership association of 6,500 family justice professionals promoting a non-confrontational approach to resolving family issues and campaigning for a fairer family justice system.
3. Resolution members commit to a Code of Practice that promotes a constructive approach to family issues and considers the needs of the whole family, in particular the best interests of children.
4. Further updates about Resolution’s work can be found via our official twitter handle: @ResFamilyLaw and on our website: www.resolution.org.uk
5. Machins Solicitors LLP has offices in Luton and Berkhamsted and provides specialist advice and assistance both for businesses and individuals. For more information visit www.machins.co.uk