New Service - Together We Part
November 2022
We are pleased to announce our new innovative process offering support to both parties experiencing relationship breakdown. We will empower you both to negotiate and plan together how best to resolve any concerns regarding finances and/or children, arising from your separation.
Yes, that is right we will work with both parties: no more upsetting lawyers’ letters; costly hearings being adjourned etc. We will assist you both in finding the solution that works for your family; at a fraction of the cost, in time and money enabling you to separate with confidence and dignity.
This process directly challenges the established procedures for litigation. We believe that our process offers a viable alternate to the expensive and time-consuming procedures that separating couples must endure via the litigation process.
Once separating parties commence litigation their situation is at risk of becoming “positional” and thereafter, feelings quickly become entrenched, often closing the door to a negotiated settlement. If a settlement is agreed, it is usually because one or both parties can no longer afford to litigate, frequently leading to an unfair outcome.
It is accepted within the legal community that the family court process is not quick enough to resolve problems, especially regarding children and finance. This forces families – and often the extended family – to live with intolerable uncertainty for many months before the court process concludes.
We have noticed a growing number of couples are trying to resolve matters between themselves to avoid the costs and uncertainty that flows from litigation. Often the self-help methods do not produce satisfactory outcomes because the participants do not have the necessary knowledge or experience to be able to ‘reality test’ their agreements.
Our service ensures that you remain in control of the whole process, by sharing our knowledge and experience with you both, to enable you to negotiate together on an informed basis. We will meet with you both and ensure that you understand each other’s needs and concerns. From there we will help you both to understand the legal principles and facilitate your negotiations.
As skilled negotiators we believe “the interest-based problem-solving approach” sometimes called “interest-based negotiation” is the best model for family disputes. This approach looks to the future - not the past – for your solution. Families must continue to function after separation, it is therefore logical to look to the future for your solution.
Litigation looks to the past, to criticise, undermine and attack the other party, in support of your ‘position’; which is often, quite simply – ‘I am right, you are wrong’ - family matters are rarely this simple. Our process will refer you, if need be, to specialists who can help you with the past, as our focus will be to help you plan your future.
We will meet with you separately in the first instance, this meeting will be “confidential” so that we can assess the suitability of you both to engage in this process. Thereafter, we will meet with you together and help you navigate your way to the most agreeable solution. Our aim is that you leave this process happy that by agreement you have both reached a fair and reasonable outcome for you and your family.
This process is consensual and as such you both have the right to walk away and litigate at any time.
Read more about the Together We Part service.
