Dan Bottrell, the director of BGM Family Lawyers, has flagged a precaution that couples can take to avoid financial disaster or even help prevent separation.
“A binding financial agreement can embody a plan to acquire wealth in the name of the anxious spouse, or provide for a defined outcome if and when separation ever occurs, allowing the anxious spouse to relax knowing that in the event of later relationship breakdown, they will not be destitute,” he explained.
It’s just one of a raft of legal and alternative dispute resolutions options which could “help keep relationships on track”, according to the lawyer.
He considered it “crucial to recognise that the pandemic has put a new set of pressures on relationships”.
“Apartments can seem extra small when you’re prevented from leaving home, and households with two spouses trying to work from home and home-school children can cause added stress on a relationship.”
With finances a big source of pressure for couples in normal times, Mr Bottrell said “quarantine can see fears about financial futures heightened”.
For those couples who do not think a binding financial agreement would be suitable, “perhaps all that is needed are some adjustments in the legal title to some assets so that they are co-owned, or a detailed estate plan providing for financial outcomes if the breadwinner spouse were to pass away, or a combination of both these things”.
Mr Bottrell advises struggling couples to consult an accredited family law specialist to explore other options to avoid separation.
He said there are many ways that family lawyers “can identify the flashpoints in a relationship and recommend whether there is anything that can be done about them”.
“Family lawyers have an obligation to examine scope for relationships to be reconciled.”
“Counselling is one such option, and a referral can allow couples to take a pause and focus on salvaging a troubled relationship. This sort of approach is seeing people reconciling every day of the week,” the lawyer continued.
“When visiting your family lawyer, keep in mind that you might be challenged about the reconciliation of the relationship before there is even discussion about legal steps towards separation.”
