Across the globe, we are facing unprecedented and extremely challenging times in tackling the outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid – 19). Of course, as at any difficult time, it is natural for our collective focus to fall to our families and family circumstances.
The situation is changing rapidly.
As school closures have now been announced and speculation about ‘lockdown’ in the UK increases, our Family Law team have had a number of enquiries from clients over recent days about the impact of the outbreak on their family arrangements.
There will be an inevitable strain on families required to self isolate and those dealing with school closures, as well as those who are unfortunately affected by the virus itself. Family income could also be affected.
Contact/Residence
At the moment, Government advice is that those showing symptoms should self isolate
There is no current requirement for anyone else to stay home and not to go out at all and so Contact arrangements may be able to operate as normal.
However, the Government have also issued guidance for at risk groups, such as the elderly or those with existing health conditions, and has asked them to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures. This may mean, for example, that grandparents are unable to see grandchildren, or help with their care.
If your children have Contact with you by agreement, or by Court Order, you may be concerned about how all of this will affect your children’s time with you. It may be that your Contact with them takes place at a Contact centre and you are concerned about that remaining open.
If your child is unwell with Coronavirus, or they or someone in their household is affected by symptoms which mean they need to self isolate, then they should remain where they are at the moment.
Parents may also be concerned about the implications for weekend or overnight contact arrangements with the child’s other parent, and whether these might need to be altered at all.
In these circumstances, our team can assist with negotiating practical matters which may help. Parents might, for example, be able to agree that Contact changes in the short term.
This might mean that direct Contact is still agreed, but only at or close to a residential parent’s home, or perhaps agreeing that overnight Contact be stopped at the moment.
It might possible in these circumstances for parents to agree that Contact reduced as a result of these difficult times will be increased once the crisis is over.
Creative Contact
We would also encourage parents where possible to be creative about ways in which children can maintain relationships with their family members, such as non-resident parents or grandparents.
This could be through Skype or FaceTime, or messaging media such as WhatsApp. Simple things, such as reading bedtime stories by FaceTime, might help to reassure children. Older children might be keen to play online video games with a parent (or grandparent!) from a distance. Grandparents might find that using technology helps with their own wellbeing, too.
It is likely that some children will be worried or unsettled by the news they hear around them, or by the changes to their routine now that schools will close.
We understand that schools have been sharing a wealth of online resources with parents to assist with home learning over the coming weeks. It might be possible for parents to be involved with these activities from a distance, if these are online, or even to participate in online workouts at the same time as their children!
Aliment/Maintenance
In circumstances where you have an agreement or there is a Court Order or obligation for you to pay Maintenance or Aliment, you should continue to make agreed payments.
If your financial circumstances have changed as a result of the impact of Covid-19 it might be necessary to revisit the agreement or order, perhaps only on a temporary basis. Please contact a member of our team if you require advice specific to your circumstances.
In these challenging times, we can assist to help you find both legal and practical solutions to new and developing family situations. Please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team to discuss these issues in more detail.
If you require advice on any of the issues raised please contact any member of the Thorntons Family Law team on 03330 430150