School holidays cause stress for separated parents

School holidays for separated parents are not always plain sailing. Courts and law firms see a huge rise in children related enquiries in holidays. 

As the summer holidays were heating up so were disputes between separated parents. September is set to be a busy month for new children matters being issued at the court with the school summer holidays kicking up all kinds of disputes.

Parents often find school holidays, whether it is Summer, Easter or Christmas the most difficult times of the year. During the long summer break parents find themselves arguing about when and for how long each of them should spend with the children and whether or not either parent can travel abroad with their children for the purpose of a holiday.

Despite the court rule changes in 2014 requiring that disputing parents attend mediation prior to issuing any court application, save for urgent or exempt applications, the stats from the Court advisory service (CAFCASS) show that parental disputes are still on the rise.

In July 2016, CAFCASS received 3,468 new cases and the number of new cases received in the first quarter of the current financial year is up by nearly 10% compared to last year. August figures will no doubt be just as high.

Our family law specialists are trained to advise and assist parents in these situations to resolve matters, whether that be by way of negotiation or via the court. The team includes members of the Law Society’s Family Panel and Advanced Family Panel, accredited Resolution specialists and Collaborative Family Lawyers.

MORE INFORMATIONIf you would like more information please contact our Family Law Department on 01708 229444 or book a free initial family consultation using our online booking form. This half hour appointment will allow you to explain the situation with an expert lawyer and discuss the best steps to take to ensure your children’s needs are put first. 
This article was written by Jennifer Herbert, Family Law solicitor at Pinney Talfourd Solicitors. The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. Specific legal advice should be taken on each individual matter. This article is based on the law as at August 2016.