Separation and divorce are painful at any time of year but especially at Christmas. Particularly for the children.
Separated couples should always plan as early as possible who will have the children on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Sadly, many couples leave it far too late.
Others may have made agreements well in advance – only for those plans to fall apart at the last minute because of the actions of one or both parties.
It is very sad when couples go to court on December 22 or 23 and argue about minutiae or indulge in petty point-scoring.
And that is assuming they can actually get a court date before Christmas. At this late juncture, the chances will be extremely slim at best.
It’s far better to be as conciliatory as possible – better for all concerned.
We are very lucky in this area. We have some excellent judges with the patience of saints.
But when those judges are burdened with dozens of court applications just days before Christmas, they must be pragmatic.
So warring parents who try to use Christmas as a way of playing family politics are likely to get short shrift from the long-suffering judiciary.
Separated couples who fail to compromise are effectively handing the decision-making process to the judge – and their intransigence may backfire on them.
The way to make separation at Christmas less painful is to be conciliatory and to embrace the festive season’s spirit of goodwill, tolerance and forgiveness.
It’s not just more pleasant than arguing with the ex – it’s much more effective in the long run.
And the children will have a much happier Christmas. Which is what matters most.
Need help to make separation and divorce less stressful? Contact Senior Family Lawyer Lindsey Arnold for expert, friendly and sympathetic legal advice.
