... of documentary
Divorce: The law ... and after
Margaret has one son, Andrew, who is 3. She is divorcing her husband Dennis, and his parents have access to Andrew at weekends. But Margaret has stopped the access visits, and there is now a real danger of a full-blown case for the custody of Andrew - unless the new approach of conciliation can defuse the emotions of both sides. To the 174,000 couples who get divorced each year, and the 163,000 children involved, conciliation offers neutral mediation outside the courtroom, so that the marriage can be dissolved as amicably as possible with workable future arrangements for the children. In this film the work of Court Welfare Officers in Leicester is observed as they conciliate over the social and emotional consequences of ruptured relations. Although the officers cannot always succeed, there is a feeling both in and outside the law that conciliation holds out new hope to the one in three couples whose marriage will end in divorce.
Film editor KEITH LONG
Executive producer ROGER MILLS Producer JOHN BARNES