When it comes to divorce, men have a more difficult struggle than women as social prejudices tend to be on the side of the female. Men are also more likely to be blamed for "causing" the divorce. Often, these men find themselves alienated from their married friends and other relationships that formed while they were married. Since most men are not comfortable opening up to others and sharing the details of what lead to their divorce, they find that former friends, work colleagues and even their own children may view them with unease or distrust them.
To make matters more difficult, the numerous support groups, social organisations and web sites that specialise in offering help and support for divorcees, seem to cater to women and support for men is much harder to find. The inability to express the hurt and frustration that they feel when going through a divorce can lead many man into depression; leading them into rebound relationships that they are not ready for and into even further heartache.
Although the written word of the law does not discriminate against either party to the marriage it is common for the man to see himself as discriminated against. Often having his time with his children reduced to weekends, holidays and the odd visit in the week if they are lucky. With husbands working full-time and bringing in a larger share of income to the marriage they can find themselves losing a large share of the assets they worked for in the divorce settlement, not to mention the high-cost of monthly maintenance payments. When men turn to divorce mediation and other such services, they still end up facing biases and being forced to comply with demands that they feel are unreasonable.
Without the right lawyer handling their case many man are left with limited access to their children, a vastly reduced income and struggling to afford their own bills while still paying for their ex-wife to live in the family home.
For help with any divorce matters, please contact Neil Remnant on 01234 858000 (Bedford) or 01438 346032 (Stevenage).
