Divorced from reality

Divorced from reality [ 1.8 mb]

Going through a divorce is always going to be a difficult time. For those couples and families who want and are able to stay together, support should be made available to help them do so. However, our data shows that those who don’t want or aren’t able to stay together are struggling. Slow, unnecessary processes and poor services are stopping people from being able to make practical agreements and move forward with their lives. This has a negative impact far beyond the divorce itself and affects the rest of people’s lives.  

Family justice is changing. Family courts are closing, legal aid is harder to access, processes and tools are moving online, and people are being encouraged to use less combative forms of dispute resolution. This time of significant change has the potential to improve couples’ and families’ experiences and help preserve positive relationships in the family. Divorced from reality [ 1.8 mb] outlines six steps that should be taken to allow couples who aren’t able to stay together to achieve a ‘good separation’.