Parents who live apart are being given a helping hand by the largest family law team in the North West, this Christmas.
For the Family department at Manchester-based Stephensons Solicitors LLP has put their years of experience in helping parents navigate the season of goodwill into a new Christmas Guide . The guide offers 12 tips to help separated parents ensure their festive season runs as smoothly as possible and offers guidance on how to make sure decisions about the children are front of mind.
Mike Devlin, managing partner of the Family department, said: “Christmas is a time where family and friends come together to celebrate. For many it is the most excitedly anticipated time of year.
“However, with the stress of planning and making arrangements, it also often becomes an occasion where tensions are running high. For some families, Christmas can act as a catalyst for problems they have been dealing with in the run-up to the festive season and can damage what should be a celebration for everyone.
“Unfortunately, when parents are unable to put aside their own hurt feelings, it is the child that bears the brunt of a conflict. This guide has been created to help parents to work together to have a calm and happy Christmas.”
Many of Stephensons’ family solicitors offer their advice to families working to resolve disputes in the lead up to Christmas. The guide includes direction on the best ways to communicate on topics including where the children should spend Christmas day, the role step-parents can play and building a support network of family and friends to ease the strain of looking after children alone.
