There are a number of services and organisations that can help you and your family at times of family breakdown and separation.

There are national resources whereby you can find help including counselling support, mediation services, arbitration, collaborative law for example. There are also local resources available.

The services available to families look to encourage parents to think more broadly about resolving family disputes and to engage with community-based services and look at alternative non-court options of resolving child arrangements.

A series of videos have been produced aimed specifically at more effective dissemination of pre-proceedings ‘messages’ for parents. The videos focus on reducing parental conflict, addressing parenting issues of concern, and encouraging parents to work together more effectively to safely co-parent. They highlight available support services and alternative means of dispute resolution rather than court proceedings, for example, parenting programmes relevant to general parenting skills as well as transitioning to post-separation parenting; and if applicable, domestic abuse services, substance misuse support services, mental health services, housing and finance support.