Conscious uncoupling and the benefits of mediation

Gwyneth Paltrow has recently distanced herself from the statement made at the time of her separation from Chris Martin – that they were ‘consciously uncoupling’ – finding that the words had become somewhat embarrassing. If the words are considered carefully, however, they have a real and thought-provoking meaning in the context of family separation. ‘Conscious uncoupling’ could be taken to mean that real thought was being put into the process of separation, a sort of co-operative re-working of the relationship for the benefit of the divided unit as a whole. If this is the case, Gwyneth and Chris seem to have demonstrated that such thoughtfulness and cooperation can result in happy parents, with real, mutual respect for the new families created by their separation. It can be difficult to get communication up and running again following separation, but a process like mediation can very much help.

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Nicola Furmston is a solicitor specialising in the family field at Barker Gotelee, Solicitors in Ipswich.