TRADITIONALLY Christmas brings families together.

But for many the festive season isn't a time for celebration and for those who are already experiencing relationship difficulties, Christmas and the New Year can often be the final straw.

The start of a New Year prompts many to make a resolution; to make a fresh start and that is a probable explanation for organisations such as family dispute and relationship specialists experiencing their busiest periods in the first few weeks of the New Year.

According to the experts, January traditionally sees an increase in divorce and separation, but it doesn't have to be an acrimonious ending and couples can work it out.

West Yorkshire Family Mediation Service, based in Bradford, are asking couples to explore the benefits of mediation.

The process is used to settle financial, property and parenting issues through negotiation rather than battling it out in a courtroom.

"Our professional mediators are on new year alert, expecting a surge of enquiries," explains service manager, Stephanie Smith.

"There will be many local couples who have decided for sure in the last couple of weeks to separate, but they will need more information about their options. It is important they consider all the possible ways they can make arrangements for parenting, property and finance.

"Many couples think they must head off to a solicitor to prepare for a very expensive and protracted court room confrontation in which they can achieve a 'victory' over their ex. But there is a better way to manage your separation, and if you open your eyes to a family mediation you will find it much quicker, much cheaper and much less stressful.

"Professional mediators are highly skilled third party negotiators with experience in helping families create long-term solutions that work well for their particular circumstances. Rather than leaving it to a court to decide who will live where, what happens to the money, debts, and pensions, and arrangements for the children, mediation empowers families themselves to decide these things. It's their future after all."

Jane Robey, CEO of the National Family Mediation network, England and Wales' largest provider of the service of which West Yorkshire Family Mediation is a member, says: "You can head off to a family court for an acrimonious court room drama, or instead choose to meet and talk with a professional family mediator who will help you agree on the vital things that need to be sorted for the future. Family mediation is a much, much quicker process, allowing you to remain in control of all the decisions affecting your family's future."

Relationship specialists, Relate Bradford, are also experiencing one of their busiest periods of the year.

Co-manager and counsellor, Gill Crofts, explains Christmas and the summer holiday period are traditionally times when ongoing relationship issues can come to the fore.

Gill says couples can find themselves under more pressure during Christmas, yet put off their problems to get through the celebrations and then decide to tackle them at the beginning of the New Year.

"The Christmas holiday, the period itself, expectations are high for everything being good and magical and the pressure to put yourself under more financial pressure is there," says Gill.

"Contact with other family members goes up so any un-resolved issues are more likely to come to the fore and, quite often, more alcohol consumption, things come out so Christmas is a time where expectations are high and pressures are also high and that sometimes takes its toll so things escalate or come to a head."

Gill's advice is to seek help straight away as often couples find they can resolve their problems without having to go their separate ways.

"It is much better if they are going around in circles and having arguments about the same things to ask for help."

Gill says ignoring the problem can make it worse. "If you bury it it becomes a bigger problem."

She says those couples who decide to split up must be able to communicate - for the sake of their children.

"Sometimes people separate because they cannot communicate, but if they have children they are going to have to communicate anyway so they need to be able to face up to talking about things to improve their communication to deal with staying together or to deal with separating," she adds.

Family Mediation Week runs until January 15. For more information about West Yorkshire Family Mediation call 01274 732768 or 0113 245 2986 or email wyfms.co.uk or visit wyfms.co.uk

For more information about Relate Bradford call 01274 726096 or visit relatebradford.org.uk