How does it work
The Divorce and Separation Consultation Service offers an initial three consultations with a therapist to help partners work on their communication. It’s for individuals as well as couples. Sometimes one person will come to us for the first consultation, and then their partner will join for the next.
At the last of the three consultations, it may be agreed for a further set if the process is found to be supportive. It’s not a long-term therapy service, but one that helps people think about their lives and how they want to live them, making the best choices they can.
The service isn’t just for people who are clear they want to separate. It’s also for people who are uncertain about their future. The emotional support we give can also help people to find a way to co-habit if they can’t afford to separate, or to move into our general service if they want to find a way of bringing about change and stay together.
If people do want to separate or divorce, we can help them to become less defensive, opening up the space which is invaluable when making the decisions required around childcare and splitting finances. This makes the process of legal separation or divorce less expensive both financially and emotionally, preventing long, drawn out conflict and potentially having to resort to the family courts to resolve matters. Using the courts can take years and makes it much harder on everyone, especially the children.
Ahead of the first consultation we ask both partners to answer a series of questions on a form, which is completely confidential and is not shared between the couple. This allows us to find out what the main areas of concern are and how these issues are perceived by each partner.
