Beware the costly pitfalls of 'boomerang' relationships warns Family Lawyer

LEEDS, U.K. - Jan. 11, 2017 - PRLog -- A leading family lawyer is warning divorced couples who may be contemplating getting back together to think long and hard before doing so, as the consequences can be costly and painful the second time around.

Coinciding with a recent study* that found 54% of Brits who have been through a break-up in the past five years ended up getting back together with their ex, Claire O'Donnell of family law firm Lake Legal says the 'boomerang' effects of getting back with an ex can be more trouble than it's worth, especially when it comes to finances.

Claire said: "Couples getting back together is more common than most people think. The key thing is that couples who split and then decide to give it another go are effectively starting the clock again in terms of their claims against each other. Any previous financial settlement between them would fall away, and assets which had been built up during the period of separation could be brought into play in the event of another separation. Even though emotionally it may feel like the right thing to do especially for the sake of the children, this is sadly very rarely the case, and couples are often seeing life through rose-tinted glasses.  Children can be the real casualties here as they are often delighted the family unit is back together only to have to endure the heartache of yet another split further down the line.

"Fundamentally, all the underlying reasons for the split in the first place are usually still there and more often than not they will rear up again, something I repeatedly see with couples who think giving it another go will work."

For couples thinking about getting back together, Claire O'Donnell has the following words of advice:

●       Think carefully and proceed with caution - the underlying reasons for the split are probably still there

●       Any existing court orders in relation to financial support would be redundant, as would orders relating to the care of the children – in the event of another separation, you are starting the painful legal process again from scratch

●       Any wealth built up during the separation could be attacked in the event of divorce, even where the other person has had no part to play whatsoever in the generation of those assets.

●       Consider a prenuptial agreement second time around. It is likely that both parties will have their own assets that they want to protect. It is worth detailing them and agreeing future arrangements in advance so as to avoid any unnecessary pain later down the line should things turn sour again.

Added Claire: "Revisiting a relationship with an ex-spouse is statistically unlikely to succeed the second time around.  To give it a fighting chance, discuss the problems which caused the marriage to breakdown in the first place, and be realistic about whether these problems can be overcome."

Ends

Notes to editors:

*Study conducted by Match.com

Lake Legal operates nationally from offices in Leeds and Manchester. It was named 'Family Law Firm of the Year' in the Yorkshire Legal Awards and has earned recognition in the top tier of firms in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. Visit http://www.lakelegal.co.uk for more information.


For more information contact Nathan Lane on 07447 921654.