Good Divorce Week 2025

This week sees the start of ‘Good Divorce Week 2025’ in England and Wales. The initiative is led by Resolution, the community of Family law professionals dedicated to promoting a non-confrontational, solution-based approach to family breakdown. As anyone going through, or has gone through, a divorce or separation knows, the deeply personal and life changing process can be frustrated further by the delays of an overburdened court system, leaving families struggling to resolve their issues as they await court dates. Thankfully, there is another way, and in 2025, that matters more than ever before.

Resolution’s Code of Practice

At the heart of Good Divorce Week is a reminder for individuals and professionals alike that Resolution members’ Code of Practice puts families first. Resolution sets out the principles of a non-confrontational approach to family matters, where the acrimony between couples is actively discouraged, for example, by not using inflammatory language and families are supported in understanding and managing the potential long-term financial and emotional consequences of decisions during the divorce or separation process. The Resolution Code of Practice encourages family law professionals to:

Prioritise Child Welfare: Actively support families in prioritising the best interests and well-being of their children above adult conflict.
Maintain Professional Standards: Uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and objectivity in all professional dealings.
Encourage Future-Focused Decisions: Guide clients to thoroughly consider the long-term emotional and financial consequences of their choices.
Facilitate Constructive Dialogue: Promote and enable communication and collaboration between separating parties whenever feasible.
Provide Expert Guidance: Use extensive professional experience and knowledge to clearly guide clients through all available resolution options.

Changing the Culture of Divorce and Separation

These principles complement the recent major legislative change brought in with the ‘no fault divorce’, where the need to apportion blame on the divorce petition was removed and changes in mandatory court rules that bind us all to require the consideration of alternative dispute resolution methods not based on court procedures. Together, they work to change the culture around divorce and separation from one that was primed for hostility and set parties on a combative footing, to one that is collaborative, with shared goals on reaching an amicable settlement without the need for court involvement and elevates the welfare of children above all.

Promotion of other approaches to dispute resolution such as mediation, arbitration, collaborative practice and lawyer-led negotiation, which help couples to arrive at agreement without the need for court intervention wherever possible, can minimise the likely delays and distress involved, not to mention costs saved, all for the benefit of the family as they navigate through an already difficult time in their lives. Most experienced lawyers in the field report much greater success in resolving cases through these routes, rather than the traditional court process.

Take Action on an Amicable Approach

If you’re starting the process of divorce or separation and need early advice on where you stand and how you can adopt an amicable approach for the benefit of your family, please contact us for a fixed-fee consultation. Our team are members of Resolution and will help guide you through the challenges with professionalism and care. Call us on 01622 815940.