ROMFORD has been named as one of the UK's divorce hotspots.
According to figures from the Ministry of Justice, Romford County Court is the fourth busiest divorce court in the country, with 1,783 applications between October 2011 and September 2012.
Only Birmingham Civil Justice Centre and Family Courts, Weston-super-Mare County Court and Leicester County Court were busier.
Solicitors say there is a significant spike in divorce applications in the spring as couples seek a fresh start following the festive season, which is often the tipping point for people wanting to make a break.
Pinney Talfourd LLP Solicitors, which has branches in Hornchurch, Upminster and Brentwood, is among those firms to see a surge in divorce inquiries during January and February.
Catherine Loadman, family partner at Pinney Talfourd, said: "The first weeks of the year are traditionally the busiest time for family lawyers as the financial and emotional pressures of the festive period, together with families delaying difficult decisions until after Christmas, regularly lead to a rise in divorce enquiries.
"However, although enquiries rise this time of year, divorce is not a decision taken lightly and many couples may have been discussing separation for a while and have spoken to us months ago to consider their options.
"The time spent together over the festive period is sometimes just the tipping point."
Pinney Talfourd's lawyers, like many others, regularly advise on mediation, separation agreements and collaborative law, which can help a divorce avoid becoming messy.
The advice follows that of the Government, which wants separating couples to consider using mediation.
Family justice minister Lord McNally said: "All too often I hear stories of families going through expensive and traumatic court hearings but we know that when working out how to split assets and arrange time with the children, mediation is a far simpler and cheaper approach for everyone and leads to better outcomes.
"That is why we are changing the law so that all couples seeking a court order about child contact or a financial matter must attend a mediation information assessment meeting first, to find out about mediation and whether it is suitable for them."
The average cost of resolving property and financial disputes caused by separation is approximately £500 through mediation for a publicly funded client, compared with £4,000 for issues settled through the courts.
The average time for a mediated case is 110 days compared with 435 days for non-mediated cases.
Pinney Talfourd is offering a free initial appointment for the rest of February.
Call 01277 211755 or e-mail mail@pinneytalfourd.co.uk for a no-obligation chat about your situation or visit www.pinneytalfourd.co.uk
