Family Lawyers Braced For Busy New Year Period As Divorce Enquiries Forecast To Continue

• 50,000 divorces each year involve children under 16
• Research found 26% of people admit to staying in relationships ‘for the kids’
• Many people make New Year appointments with divorce lawyers in December
• Financial pressure one of biggest strains on relationships

Couples seeking to start the New Year by starting a new life away from their current partner are being encouraged to put their children first as family lawyers expect the traditional January divorce spike to continue.

Instructions for the Irwin Mitchell divorce and family law team, the biggest such team in the UK with offices across the country, have traditionally been up to 25% up in January compared with an average month.

The latest divorce statistics show that there are over 110,000 divorces each year with around half of these involving children. In 2013 (the latest available information) the divorces affected more than 94,000 children under 16. Now Irwin Mitchell’s specialist lawyers are encouraging couples to ensure they put their children first during any separation.

Research by Irwin Mitchell revealed last year that 1 in 5 couples were planning to divorce after one last Christmas. The law firm is now working with the Kids in the Middle charity to reduce the impact of divorce and separation on children by providing a support network for people affected.

The Irwin Mitchell research on stress in relationships shows that 42% of married parents said they often ended up arguing in front of their children despite trying not to. Together with Kids in the Middle, the law firm is now encouraging couples to ensure they put their children first if they are seeking a divorce.

Duncan Fisher who set up Kids in The Middle said: “Being a teenager is hard enough and having their family life drastically changed at a crucial and often already stressful time in their lives, leaves many young people feeling alone and lost. We want to give people a chance to speak to family experts as well as other young people so they can better handle the emotions and stresses that come with this situation.”

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