Life after divorce: how I turned lemons into lemonade. By guest blogger Sue Jenkinson
Sue Jenkinson (pictured left, at her graduation) is the Head of Law at Staffordshire University. She is also a divorcee, a successful businesswoman and a mother of three. After meeting Dr Jenkinson at Staffordshire University’s Annual Family Law Seminar and hearing her inspiring story, I asked if she would contribute a post to this blog’s series on Coping With Divorce. Sue pays tribute to Prof Chris Barton in her piece. I echo all her sentiments: he is one great guy.
As an old proverb states: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now”.
I am a very lucky woman and the law has been good to me in an unexpected way. At almost 54 I have finally found my niche – and a very interesting legal niche it is. I know it is a cliché, but if life throws lemons, make lemonade. (And sell it at 20p a bottle more than it costs you to make…)
I was what was charmingly called a “gymslip mum” in the early 1970s. I managed to leave school with no formal qualifications, a beautiful bouncing baby son and a laser-like ability to choose hopeless boyfriends. When I was 21 and my son was about to start school, I met my husband and a blissful period ensued. By the time I was 34 he decided that the grass was greener (it very rarely is) and I had three children to support and raise: a 16-year-old, a three-year-old and a ten-month-old baby. I had no formal qualifications and no useful work experience. I fully believed that the magistrates court, and later the CSA, would make sure that the children were supported. However I soon realised that I was on my own financially. A pretty scary prospect, but I was determined that my children were not going to be the victims of my poor choices. I was also determined to use education to understand the system in which I was embroiled, but also to widen my horizons and develop a career. Continue reading »




New Year’s Eve and another year, indeed a decade, is almost over.
A survey of children’s experiences of divorce was published today. The Children Act 1989, which transformed the face of family law for children, is 20 years old today. So how have children’s experiences changed – and how can we make it easier for children to cope with divorce?
This is the third post in a new series about
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Do you ever have days when you are so low, you feel like you have hit the floor? Divorce is one of life’s most stressful experiences, ranked alongside bereavement and debt. As a
One element in the sky never fails to fill me with wonder at its mystery and its sheer beauty. It is the rainbow. At the same time, it never fails to fill me with hope. It doesn’t matter how bad things get, how low you sink in your thoughts or how depressed and inconsolable you feel: when you see a rainbow, your spirits are instantly lifted. A rainbow, of course, is also intangible. Just when you think you are catching up with it, it moves elsewhere and remains out of reach.


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