A recent survey has revealed that clients don’t have trust in their family attorney’s understanding of the menopause and the effect it has on the divorce process.
London, UK / Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Divorce lawyers need to understand the needs of their clients and help them navigate this process in the best way possible. However, in many cases, attorneys aren’t able to ask the right questions to truly comprehend what their clients are going through. As a result, many argue that they’re not fully able to help people achieve an amicable divorce and move on with their lives onto a bright and happy future.
In particular, middle-aged women who choose to divorce often feel that their needs aren’t being recognized by their attorney. As they go through menopause, women have to deal with a number of physical and emotional changes that can make the stress of divorce difficult. However, menopause is rarely brought up in conversations between lawyers and their female clients. This is leading to many women feeling like they’re not being adequately represented.
This problem has most recently been highlighted by a survey conducted by family law director, Farhana Shahzady. This survey of solicitors found that 81% of those working in the family law profession believed that this industry didn’t recognize the impact that menopause can have on the divorce process. Many solicitors view pursuing this issue as leading to extra paperwork and lengthening time spent in a courtroom. However, when dealing with female clients in their 40s and 50s, this is a concern that needs to be raised.
With all the stress that comes with menopause, dealing with a separation at the same time can feel almost impossible. All the emotional pain, court hearings, custody disputes, and paperwork become ten times harder. It seems absurd, then, that family law professionals have had this blind spot for so long. Their job is to ease the burden of their clients and this means recognizing the extra pressures they may be facing.
Any middle-aged woman going through a divorce needs to feel comfortable discussing their physical and psychological needs with a legal team. You can find a
custody lawyer on Regele Law who has experience working with older clients who may be experiencing menopause. Attorneys should take the first step when raising these issues, but clients can also bring it up to try and help the solicitor understand the importance of this issue.
The good news from this survey is that it consulted law industry professionals, rather than clients. This means that it’s clear that the industry is aware of the problem and has long known of its existence. The next step now is to find a solution and encourage more lawyers, especially men, to find a level of comfort in discussing menopause with their middle-aged clients. This will help legal firms provide a better and more caring service for their clients and make the divorce process that much more manageable.
Source: Legal Futures