If you are in the middle of this second Melbourne lockdown with a very different feeling about your relationship than you did going into the first one, then you’re not alone. Reports in The Guardian cited data from Relationships Australia, the leading national provider of relationship support services, which showed that 42 per cent of people had experienced a negative change in their relationship with their partner over the course of the last few months.

According to Anne Hollonds, psychologist and director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the current situation was similar to what is seen on a yearly basis around the Christmas holidays.

“Pre-pandemic, every Christmas and January, this is an issue that comes up: people are spending more time together, they don’t have the usual structures of their lives like work and school, and that is when the cracks become very visible if there are things in the relationship that haven’t been addressed, like hurts, misunderstandings, disappointments,” Hollonds told The Guardian.

“We can carry these resentments for a very long time because we make ourselves busy and spend a lot of time away from each other. Often a lot of people find that it gets pretty intolerable over the break and, come January, they call a counselling service or seek help.”

Freeman Family Law’s own data suggests that holiday periods where partners spend more time than usual together or times of financial hardship are often triggers for potential separation. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown has produced a situation that for many has seen a combination of these factors.

Freeman Family Law is here to help any families struggling through this time. We believe first and foremost that all clients facing issues in the family home should avail themselves of relationship, counselling and mediation services. Anyone unsure of where to turn in these times are welcome to reach out to Freeman Family Law.

Our friendly team of experienced family lawyers have many years of experience and in that time have built up strong relationships with a number of exceptional providers in this space, whom we can happily refer you to.

Contact us today to learn more about how Freeman Family Law can assist.