Irwin Mitchell Family Law Team Expects Traditional New Year Spike In Enquiries

Leading family and divorce lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are bracing themselves for another busy January as the New Year period is traditionally one of the busiest months for enquiries.

The first working week of the year is traditionally a time when family lawyers receive an increase in enquiries for many lines of work including divorce and issues involving children.

The Irwin Mitchell team, which represents client’s from across the country, saw a 10 per cent rise in all instructions in January 2013 while divorce enquiries were up 25 per cent against an average month.

Specialist lawyers at the firm already have appointments booked with clients who have been considering an official break-up for months and see the New Year as the ideal time to make a new start.

The Family Law team at Irwin Mitchell also expects to receive a number of ‘distress’ calls from people who have had a turbulent festive period with their partner and from parents having had issues with contact with their children over Christmas.

Alison Hawes, an expert family and divorce lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Bristol office, said:

There are over 100,000 divorces each year, but with around half of these involving children, Alison says that most clients start the process with an emphasis on separating amicably.

She added: “There is desire from every direction to see divorces carried out in a fair and amicable manner. Family law judges are very keen for couples, especially parents, to try to resolve disputes before resorting to court proceedings. At Irwin Mitchell we have qualified mediators or collaborative lawyers in every office.”

“All relationships are different and each individual divorce or separation has different issues whether amicable or not. The important thing is to seek professional advice early so that the right course of action can be agreed, especially where children are involved.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in Family and Divorce Law.