The impact that divorce can have on men, financially, emotionally and mentally is frequently ignored. Men are less inclined to express their feelings and talk about their experiences and as a result men can often be left isolated post-divorce and this can include from their children. Due to a common stereotype that women should take on the role as primary carer to the children, many father’s often settle for less than satisfactory child arrangements. Shared care is an arrangement where the children reside with both parents on an equal arrangement or relatively equal arrangements. In our experience shared care is on the rise and becoming more prevalent in the family courts and acceptable family arrangement. However, with equal arrangements there is greater emphasis on co-parenting and realistically both require parents to work together for their children’s benefit. Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow are a fine example of just how well shared care and co-parenting can work in practice. Father’s do not have to accept the default position for child arrangements of alternate weekends and one day in the week and should not hesitate to ask for more time with their children.
Our experienced family lawyers will be pleased to discuss all your options and advise you on the best way to protect your rights in the event of a separation. Contact Manisha Raja, Head of Family Law on 0207 016 9333 or MR@axiomstone.co.uk.
Article written by Milli Davey