The government has recently announced that it will be supporting ten new projects to help separated couples resolve grievances and agree financial and parenting arrangements in their children's best interests.

Announcing the new funding, Work and Pensions Minister Steve Webb said:

“These groundbreaking projects find new ways to help separated couples put aside their differences, so they can agree their own maintenance payments and parenting arrangements in the best interests of their children.

“We are investing £20 million to help separated parents through these innovative projects and a web app signposting relevant services.

“We know it can be tough to negotiate with an ex-partner, but we want to help more parents break free of deadlock and sort out their own arrangements, rather than fall back on the state or resort to the courts.”

The projects will be evaluated to identify what works best in helping separated parents to resolve their difficulties and collaborate in the interests of their children.

The government awarded £6.5 million Innovation Fund money to seven projects in April 2013 in the first round of bidding.

Child Maintenance Options, a free government information and advisory service, has already helped around 150,000 separated parents reach their own family-based arrangements.

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