Coronavirus (COVID-19): Maintaining good relationships | Family Law

The recent outbreak has lead to a great number of changes for almost everyone, affecting all aspects of our daily lives.  For many people, the current circumstances are causing high levels of stress, anxiety and money worries.  Put together with also having to work from home, self isolate or social distance, this can put our relationships under a huge amount of added pressure.  

We are acutely aware in the family department that these kinds of pressures can often lead to relationship breakdowns, or emphasize issues that perhaps already existed. It is going to be particularly difficult for couples who have already separated but are still living in the same house for financial reasons. It is therefore very important that couples are aware of this and do all they can to be mindful in these difficult times. 

If you are finding things difficult, the following may be of assistance to you:

• Communicate – if you are having to be apart due to self isolation, make use of technology such as whatsapp and facetime
• Accept that your roles and routines may have to change for a while, particularly if working from home with children.  Check in regularly with each other to put plans together and make this work as well as it can
• Appreciate different people have different ways of dealing with stress and be mindful of this
• Be creative with your space at home
• As much as you can, exercise or go outside, even if just into the garden giving you both some space
• If you feel yourself getting frustrated, try sharing this with a friend outside your situation 
• Try and deal with arguments and disagreements constructively – try and see things from the other person’s perspective as well as your own
• Be prepared to compromise – try and find solutions not problems
• Be very mindful of children, as they learn from your behaviours

Relate are currently offering virtual counselling sessions if you are really struggling and feel you need some third party assistance.

We hope the above is helpful and our family team at Thursfields are also always on hand should you need assistance, should matters break down.  Our team is here to offer a sympathetic, supportive and approachable person at the end of the phone to offer advice.  We are still very much operating and here to meet your needs.  We are able to facilitate facetime telephone conferencing should you wish to do so.

We are also in daily contact with the Courts about how matters are being conducted away from the Court setting and have the facilities to accommodate this. We are able to facilitate all of your needs at this difficult time.

Contact our Family Law team on 0345 20 73 72 8 or info@thursfields.co.uk