Newcastle and Northumberland’s Top Divorce and Family Law Specialist, Joanne Major states divorce is one of the most stressful life events anyone can go through. The end of a marriage has been likened to a bereavement. Stress, anxiety, depression, feelings of abandonment and rejection, the worry of coping financially, and adjusting to being one instead of part of a couple are all commonly experienced effects of splitting up.

Whilst there has been a steadily growing acceptance in recent years within the legal profession that steps should be taken to make the divorce process less adversarial wherever possible and to focus on assisting clients to achieve a satisfactory resolution by constructive, non-confrontational methods, this only goes some of the way to addressing the lack of emotional support for people struggling to cope on a personal and emotional level with the end of their marriage.

As a niche practice dealing exclusively with family law matters, Major Family Law have always been concerned to offer clients a comprehensive service, and take a holistic view of the definition of client support. For this reason, in a unique step, we now offer clients the opportunity to access a Family Consultant as part of the separation and divorce process.

This is a stand-alone service accessible at any stage when a client feels the need for additional support. Appointments are available either at Brian’s own offices or our own for convenience, and are offered on an entirely independent and confidential basis.

Brian Cantwell, our Family Consultant, has 25 years’ experience in working with families dealing with separation and divorce issues. Qualified in social work and a registered practitioner with the Health and Care Professions Council (H.C.P.C.), Brian was also a senior court welfare officer for a number of years, and has practised as a family mediator, as well as working with children and families in an interdisciplinary team within an NHS Trust.

He believes strongly that getting the right support from the very beginning can be vital not only to the individual he is working with, but also to the children of the family who will benefit indirectly from having a parent better able to cope with and come to terms with the end of the marriage.
Divorce in the 21st century is not just about who gets the house. If you think you could benefit from the services we can offer, and in particular our Family Consultant, then please do contact us in strict confidence to find out more.