The world’s first Divorce in a Box
November 18, 2011 by Suzy
The UK’s first ‘divorce fair’ – Starting Over Show – has now packaged up the best of what it offers in promoting non-adversarial routes through divorce – and put it into a box. A real box – supplied in different colours, some with ribbons.
“Why shouldn’t good information combined with powerful inspiration be packaged in an attractive way? I want people going through the confusion of family break up to be able to have easy access to key guidance and expert advice in a way that is more tangible than just flailing around on google,” explains the creator of SOS Divorce in a Box, Suzy Miller.
“I have taken the best resources from the Starting Over Shows and presented them in a different way. The SOS Boxes promote mediation and collaborative law, which keep people out of court, help protect the kids and save people money and stress. I am collaborating with the Ministry of Justice in promoting non-adversarial routes through divorce, and the experts partnering with me range from life coaches to financial planners.”
The box contains a media pack with videos, audio recordings and pdfs providing a wide range of resource material, including videos about divorce mediation and even audio ‘meditations’ for relaxation, positive affirmations, and forgiveness.
“It’s amazing how often people confuse divorce ‘mediation’ with ‘meditation’!” Suzy explains. “But I include meditations in the box because they are a powerful way to support people psychologically through a difficult life change. I believe in taking a holistic approach to life crises like divorce and break up, and empowering rather than ‘rescuing’ people, who need a map of how to navigate their way through.”
The boxes come in different colours, as Suzy wants both men and women to benefit from the booklets and also vouchers – over £500 worth of complementary expert services available ‘in the box’.
“Anyone buying a physical box or getting an online version, will be able to access free sessions with top experts like Francine Kaye (Channel 5′s The Wright Stuff ‘Divorce Doctor’), top UK Parenting Coach Sue Atkins, as well as financial and wellbeing support, and get a 20% discount on a managed divorce through Divorce Online.”
The Starting Over Shows have been well received because of the holistic and wellbeing focus of the events, supported by Reverend’s from the Church of England right through to support organisations like the CAB. Flyers for recent Guildford events were available via doctor’s surgeries, JobCentrePlus and family courts.
But even though the live events are very relaxed and friendly, Suzy felt that some people were still too overwhelmed by their divorce to be able to get along and attend, so she wanted to create something they could access in private, in their own time.
“I wanted the boxes to not only be incredibly useful – to provide information that guides people through a better way of doing divorce – but also to offer immense value for money by including fantastic 1-1 expert advice with top professionals in their field.”
Suzy is selling the boxes online: £36 for the online version, and £40 for the physical version including vat and UK postage. For more information visit www.sosdivorceinabox.com
END
Suzy Miller
suzy@startingovershow.co.uk
07525 059 634
Expert comments from ‘divorce professionals’ available on request.
Hi Res Images can be downloaded from http://gallery.me.com/suzymiller2#100316&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=6
Relevant links:
Press Pack: http://www.startingovershow.co.uk/index.php/sos-15-march-2009/press-pack-sos-divorce-in-a-box/
Divorce in a Box www.sosdivorceinabox.com
Starting Over Show www.startingovershow.co.uk
SOS PR & Media Summary October 2011
October 10, 2011 by Suzy
Press and media summary for Starting Over Show up till now……
Click to download pdf:
US Divorce Pill – coming soon to the UK ?
September 8, 2011 by Suzy
“The single most powerful predictor of stress-related physical, as well as emotional illness is marital disruption.” ‘National Institute of Mental Health’ – reads one of the statistics backing up the video and testimonials for The Divorce Pill being cunningly marketed and targeted at people in the US going through divorce.
So how long before we begin to see the ads on NBC and Fox for this “cutting edge herbal technology, for which you can “buy one get one free”, being seen on UK TV?
Divorce alone costs North American business more than $6 billion each year in lost productivity, absenteeism and higher health insurance premiums and stress-related healthcare costs. (Corporate Wellness Magazine 4 Sept 2009). So it could only be a matter of time before ‘divorce medication’ is being handed out as part of Employment Assistance Programmes. In the UK, the governmentʼs Foresight Programme study on mental capital and wellbeing estimated that sickness absence, presenteeism, and labour turnover costs the country about £26bn a year – so how about the NHS making divorce pills available here on prescription? Divorce Medication instead of Divorce Mediation to reduce the rate of ‘contentious divorce’ blocking up the courts?
Suzy Miller – creator of the UK’s Starting Over from Divorce Road Show currently running in Guildford, Surrey, is alarmed by the prospect. Starting Over Show – SOS for short – is collaborating with the Ministry of Justice in promoting non-adversarial routes through divorce through the use of mediation and collaborative law:
“I get local GP surgeries in Surrey to share Starting Over Show flyers by saying to them: “don’t prescribe patients going through divorce pills and prozac – tell them to come along to a Starting Over Show!” Luckily, they agree, which is why they are happy to share the flyers. When people ‘suppress’ their pain they are unable to deal with the causes of it. Getting through a life crises involves ‘doing the pain’ – there are no short cuts or antidotes, but methods to learn and people to support you. This divorce pill is another scary step in the wrong direction.”
“The divorced or widowed are 20% more likely to have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or other chronic conditions” (Dr Mark Hayward PHD, University of Texas) – reads a further statistic on the online ad for the pills. A 2007 study at University College London revealed that stress associated with marital struggle was found to increase the likelihood of a heart attack and other heart trouble by as much as 34%. In a recent CIPD report 38% of businesses reported a rise in mental problems such as anxiety and depression in staff over a 12 month period – an increase of 17%. The current levels of redundancy and unfair dismissals will also impact on relationships and therefore on divorce and family break-up.
With statistics like these, the prospect of GP’s handing out divorce medication could be closer than we think.
Free legal, financial and wellbeing advice at The Holiday Inn, 22 September 2011. A holistic approach to divorce, redundancy & other major life changes. www.startingovershow.co.uk
Suzy Miller
suzy@startingovershow.co.uk
07525 059 634
Expert comments from ‘divorce professionals’ available on request.
Relevant links:
Tickets available here http://www.divorceredundancybereavement.org/buy-a-ticket
The Divorce Pill http://thedivorcepill.com
Take A Break Magazine – divorce stories
August 12, 2011 by Suzy
4 August 2011 Issue 31
Suzy Miller is featured in this issue of Take A Break magazine along with one of the SOS Guildford exhibitors, Marina Pearson of Soul Conneczions.
Mediators & Divorce Psychics – in Guildford!
March 23, 2011 by Suzy
Guildford has been called the “Divorce capital of the country” according to Liberal Democrat Pauline Searle, in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2007. Now in 2011, Guildford is fittingly one of the first locations for the UK’s only ‘divorce fairs’ – Starting Over from Divorce Road Shows – to become established as a regular resource for local people, taking place 4 times a year at the Holiday Inn Guildford.
As the Government actively encourages divorcing couples to investigate mediation as a way through divorce, the Guildford Starting Over Show will bring visitors face to face with local mediators and collaborative lawyers – both professions dedicated to non-adversarial routes through divorce. But the event will also include a holistic range of exhibitors including a health club, a photographer of ‘blended families’, and the Mystic Housewife who’s new monthly ‘Psychic Divorce Horoscope‘ blog has just been launched on the www.startingovershow.com website.
“The Starting Over Shows provide a whole new alternative to the commercialisation of divorce, something that is taking off on a local basis and the like of which has never been seen before in the UK – or abroad” explains Suzy Miller, creator and producer of these resource-based events. “Visitors learn about non-adversarial approaches to divorce but also have access to life coaches and business start-up opportunities. At the recent SOS events in Farnham, local Citizen’s Advice Bureaus and GP surgeries made the SOS flyers and free code for tickets available to people who are going through divorce or family breakup because they recognised what a valuable service these events are providing to the local community.”
Local independent radio station Eagle Radio, part of the UKRD group who recently won the Sunday Times “100 Best Companies to work for” accolade, are keen that these events become a regular feature of Guildford life. “As Surrey and Hampshire`s local radio station, Eagle Radio is supportive of any new initiatives that make a real difference to our listeners”, says Eagle Radio MD Paul Marcus. “We support the starting over show as it is run with integrity, style and is genuinely relevant to people finding themselves in this situation.”
SOS is collaborating with the Ministry of Justice and educating people about the role of mediation through The Mediation Specialists, and also introducing people to collaborative lawyers from the Guildford firm Barlow Robbins – who keep you out of court. Just as important, they are helping people to deal with the pain and confusion of family break-up. The Guildford Starting Over Show events are sponsored by the local Collaborative Family Law Group.
“Divorce Fairs” started in Europe and the Starting Over Show was the first similar event in the UK to support people going through divorce and break up – but in a very different way. Unlike the first ever divorce fair held in Austria, SOS does not have any Private Detectives or DNA testers exhibiting, but instead actively promote a non-combative approach to breakup.
“It’s all about asking different questions.” Suzy explains. “Instead of ‘what will I get from my divorce settlement’ a better question is: ‘will we be swopping the kids over at motorway service stations for the next 10 years because it’s neutral ground? Instead of divorce parties and t-shirts, divorcing couples have the opportunity to learn all the skills they failed to learn when married – like communication skills, focusing on a positive future, letting go of the past, using this painful time as a catalyst for amazing change.”
Free legal, financial and wellbeing advice at The Holiday Inn, 16 June 2011 & 22 September 2011. A holistic approach to divorce & break up. www.startingovershow.co.uk
Tickets available here now! (paste this link into your browser)
http://www.divorceredundancybereavement.org/buy-a-ticket
END
Suzy Miller
07525 059 634
Case studies and expert comments from ‘divorce professionals’ available on request.
Relevant links:
http://www.startingovershow.co.uk/index.php/category/psychic-divorce-horoscope/
Woman & Home April 2011
March 7, 2011 by Suzy
Sunday Times 27 February 2011
February 28, 2011 by Suzy
What the article fails to mention, is that mediation can be combined with specialist financial advice – with mediators and financial advisers together in the same sessions – to sort out the complex pension and asset sharing aspects of a divorce. However, overall it’s good to see the national press giving more space to mediation as a non-adversarial way through divorce.
A whole new way of breaking up right
January 5, 2011 by Suzy
Linda Kelsey’s article on Divorce Day out today in the Telegraph mentions my Starting Over Shows, but doesn’t mention that there is a whole new alternative to the commercialisation of divorce, something that is taking off on a local basis and the like of which has never been seen before in the UK – or abroad.
At the Starting Over Road Show at Farnham Castle 10 February 2011, visitors will learn about non-adversarial approaches to divorce. Local Citizen’s Advice Bureaus and GP surgeries are making the SOS flyers and free code for tickets available to people who are going through divorce or family breakup.
SOS is collaborating with the Ministry of Justice and educating people about the role of mediation and also introducing people to collaborative law (which keeps you out of court). Just as important, we are helping people to deal with the pain and confusion – so we have counsellors, divorce coaches, goal mapping experts, passion coach, mystic housewife – and NO divorce cakes!
It’s all about asking different questions. Instead of ‘what will I get from my divorce settlement’ a better question is: ‘will we be swopping the kids over at motorway service stations for the next 10 years because it’s neutral ground?”
Instead of divorce parties and t-shirts, divorcing couples have the opportunity to learn all the skills they failed to learn when married – like communication skills, focusing on a positive future, letting go of the past, using this painful time as a catalyst for amazing change.
“Divorce Fairs” started in Europe and the Starting Over Show was the first similar event in the UK to support people going through divorce and break up – but in a very different way. Unlike the first ever divorce fair held in Austria, SOS does not have any Private Detectives or DNA testers exhibiting. We actively promote a non-combative approach to breakup.
Suzy Miller
07525 059 634
Featured in current Woman magazine article “Christmas with the Ex and his new wife” http://www.startingovershow.co.uk/index.php/xmas-with-the-ex/
Case studies and expert comments from ‘divorce professionals’ available on request.
More information:
Starting over from divorce or breakup?
Free legal, financial and wellbeing advice at Farnham Castle 10 February 2011. Mediation advice, passion coach, mystic housewife – a holistic approach to divorce & break up.
Tickets available here now! (paste this link into your browser)
http://www.divorceredundancybereavement.org/buy-a-ticket
Book your free private legal & financial powwow, or a space at our life coaching advice and mediation salons right now while spaces are available. Or just come along with a friend (tickets come in pairs) for friendly information & inspiration on starting over.
Previous Starting Over Shows received international press coverage and have been featured on GMTV and even Wogan’s Pause For Thought, for our innovative approach to supporting people through divorce and break up. The events provide information (legal, financial) and inspiration (wellbeing support, parenting advice) to help people start over from what is a major life crisis, in a holistic and inspirational way.
Now a smaller, local version of the events – the Surrey/Hampshire border SOS Road Show – is returning to Farnham Castle on 10 February, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.
Information about the event at Farnham Castle can be seen here: http://www.startingovershow.co.uk/index.php/sos-roadshows/surreyhamps-border-sos-road-show/
Tickets available here now! Click this link…..
http://www.divorceredundancybereavement.org/buy-a-ticket
Farnham Castle, Farnham, Surrey GU9 0AG
Starting Over from divorce or break up? Information & Inspiration in one SOS
Contact: suzy@startingovershow.co.uk
07525 059 634
The event that could save you breaking the bank if you are breaking up
November 3, 2010 by Suzy
Breaking up is hard to do and it is easy to make costly mistakes – that’s why Starting Over Roadshow creator Suzy Miller is urging people to come to her event next Thursday (11 November).
Farnham Castle, a popular wedding venue in Surrey, will host the event which will give people access to a range of local experts giving advice on financial planning, parenting, mediation, wellbeing, dealing with debt, legal issues, prenuptials, wills and even events for singles. The roadshow takes place between 5.30 and 8.30pm.
There are still a few places left at one-to-one ‘pow-wow’ sessions with experts where people can have a cup of tea and a no-obligation chat.
“A staggering 60 per cent of people will know someone going through a divorce or break up. Often people don’t know where to turn when they are breaking up and end up breaking down in the process. Coming to the event is a perfect way to meet experts face to face without having to resort to looking in the telephone directory and spending precious time trying to find the right advisers,” explained Suzy.
The Starting Over Show (SOS) www.startingovershow.co.uk was launched two years ago by entrepreneur Suzy Miller to help people going through a divorce or breakup. Having been through a difficult separation herself, the mother-of-three used her experiences to create an event that would encourage a non-combative approach to divorce.
More than 115,000* marriages in the UK end in divorce and the SOS show offers help with almost every aspect of this difficult time.
Suzy says: “A relationship break-up can be the perfect time to make positive changes and the event provides an opportunity to gain legal and financial advice, relationship and parenting coaching and even holistic healing to help with relaxation.”
According to Ian Taylor of Godalming-based Davenport Financial Management Ltd www.davenportfinancial.co.uk, divorce rates are high on the Surrey and Hampshire border, making Farnham an ideal location for the SOS event.
“Divorce rates in this area are high, and the size of the assets being split are probably among the largest in the country. Making sure assets are fairly shared can be extremely complex, especially when it comes to pension arrangements. We are urging people who are thinking about divorce or currently going through a break up to come to the event and seek professional advice.”
Ian Taylor is a Resolution-accredited pension and divorce specialist and a member of the Collaborative Family Law Group based on the Surrey Hampshire border. Collaborative Family Law Group www.collaborativelawgroup.co.uk is hosting the Farnham show on 11 November from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Tickets are on sale now on line for £8 for two (tickets sold in pairs) at: www.startingovershow.co.uk/index.php/sos-roadshows/surreyhamps-border-sos-road-show/
Notes to editors:
For more information and a full list of exhibitors visit www.startingovershow.co.uk
You can access our on-line press pack which contains a number of hi-res images
www.startingovershow.co.uk/index.php/sos-15-march-2009/press-pack/
For further information, a press pass, or interview requests contact Suzi Christie at Blueberry PR: 01435 830031
The first local Starting Over Road Show – in a castle!
August 24, 2010 by Suzy
The Surrey/Hampshire border SOS Road Show is the first local event to help people bounce back from relationship break ups and life crises. On the day, we will create a safe haven in which visitors can take professional advice to build the confidence and skills they need to go it alone, whether they are going through divorce and break up, or just looking for a new beginning.
A relationship break up can be the perfect time to make positive changes whether that’s starting up the business you always dreamed of, getting your pension sorted, or losing weight and taking more care of your health. But this show is not just about the wellbeing aspects of moving forwards from divorce – the SOS Road Show also focuses on how to create a less combative approach to break up, and to protect the welfare of any children.
The Surrey/Hampshire border Starting Over Road Show is taking place at Farnham Castle, Farnham, Surrey GU9 0AG, between 5.30 and 8.30pm on Thursday 11 November 2010.
The Road Show events are based upon the successful regional events of Brighton and London during 2009-2010. The London event was featured on GMTV and mixed family lawyers and yoga, financial experts and guided meditation, life coaching and dating advice – a holistic approach which visitors truly appreciated.
The events will include:
* free legal & financial private powwows
* free parenting, personal development and wellbeing advice
* information & inspiration to start over
A recent survey by Starting Over show reveals that over 60% of people in the UK will know someone going through divorce or break up. The show’s organiser Suzy Miller encourages people to ‘tell a friend’ – or even better, to bring them along to the event, and this is why tickets are all sold in pairs.
To find out more about the Starting Over Road Show at Farnham Castle this November, visit the www.startingovershow.co.uk website or contact Suzy@startingovershow.co.uk 07525 059 634
