A new guide to help parents talk to their teenagers about divorce has been pulled together by a pioneering charity and a family law specialist.
Woolley & Co has helped fund the project with Voices in the Middle, part of The Family Initiative charity, and joined with a group of young volunteers to look at what is important to them to know in the event of parents splitting up and how the topics should be approached.
These words of wisdom have then been captured in a free guide for parents about how to approach the difficult topic in the best way for all concerned to help them cope and move forward.
Andrew Woolley, Managing Partner at Woolley & Co, Solicitors, which has more than 20 partner-levels lawyers across England and Wales, said: “The work done by Voices in the Middle is really important and we were keen to help them expand the offering to support young people and parents going through divorce.
“It was a revealing process speaking with the youngsters about the things that were most important to them and how these topics could be or should be, approached by their mum and dad.
“What we hope we have pulled together is a really practical guide to help families going through a difficult time and to make it just that little bit easier to cope with.
“As a responsible law firm, we are always striving to look past the legal services we offer and just do that bit extra to add value and help people. It is the right thing to do.”
The guide includes useful questions to ask, how to plan the conversation and lots of advice created by young people who have been through their parents’ separation.
Alice Piggott, one of the young volunteers involved, said: “Although stopping divorce is most likely not going to happen, the young person in the middle can be dealt with better.
“As young people ourselves, we feel inspired to make a difference in such a relevant and important situation as divorce, as so many young people are facing it alone today.
“Having a resource that parents can turn to, will help guide them in supporting their children with an understanding of the child’s perspective.”
Voices in the Middle is a project which delivers family services and programmes across health, young people, relationships and parenting.
To find out more about Voices in the Middle, visit https://www.voicesinthemiddle.com
If you’d like to find out more about Woolley & Co, Solicitors visit www.family-lawfirm.co.uk
You can access the free Voices In The Middle guide here.
