Family

HKFWS takes a “Family-centric” perspective for service development. We believe family is paramount and devote ourselves to strengthen family wellbeing. Regardless of family backgrounds or facing difficulties, we are pleased to provide support. We also utilise community resources to alleviate their imminent hardships. Some advices are provided by our professional team derived from their past working experience here for your reference when you are in need.

My mother-in-law who lives with me always scolds my three-year-old son for being noisy. I am worried that this behaviour may affect him. Yet, my husband told me to bear with it. What should I do?

After my son and daughter-in-law have separated, I am the one to take care of their eight-year-old daughter. As I am over 60 years old, I wish I could get some help to relieve my burden.

I’m unemployed recently and my landlord has asked me to move out. I would like to know if there are any social resources available to solve my problems during this difficult time.

My husband spends all his time at home playing video games and is reluctant to share any housework or help the children with their school work. How can I make him take up his parenting responsibilities?

My family environment is crowded, and the family members are noisy every day and even fight. They refused to seek help from the social worker. What should I do?

When should family mediation services start?

What is separation? If we live together in the same household, can it be considered as separation?

How long does the divorce process take?

Is a lawyer required for divorce?

My husband and I have been married for more than two years and we get along well. Due to career, we have consensus that we will not have children in the short term. Our decision caused great dissatisfaction from my mother-in-law, who believed that getting married but not having children was a sign of disobedience to the elders. My relationship with my parent-in-law has also become tense because of this. How do I convince them to respect our decision?  

My wife recently arranged after-school dance lessons for our daughter, and plans to enrol her in painting and music theory classes too, in the hope of her advancing to her favourite primary school next year. Meanwhile, my mother is worried that she will have little time to meet my daughter because of the over-whelming interest classes, and often complains to me that my wife does not care about our daughter. Caught in the middle between my wife and my mother, what should I do to ease their relationship?

As the Covid-19 pandemic persists, for fear of being infected, I seldom meet my friends and socialise with people, which make me feeling lonely sometimes. What should I do to protect the mental health of myself and my family?

My wife and I plan to migrate to Canada next year. My daughter said she likes the life in Hong Kong, and she is very reluctant to leave her classmates and relatives here. How do I convince my daughter to accept the decision to migrate?  

My wife and daughter will emigrate to Canada next month. Because of work, I cannot go with them. They will live there for a while and I will reunite with them there later. The family will be separated for a period of time. What can I do to maintain the relationship?

How to tell elderly parents and relatives on our emigration decision and prepare proper arrangements for them?

My daughter who is in primary four always loses her temper recently. She even said she wants to kill herself. I worried that she has emotional problems and desperate to learn. How can I help her?

What is the difference between receiving and not receiving family mediation services?

I got infected with Covid-19 before, so I dared not to visit my elderly parents who have chronic illnesses. While the epidemic remains volatile, they miss their grandchildren and hope we can visit them more often during holidays. What should I do?

Is it necessary to engage a lawyer while receiving family mediation services?

My husband and I hold different views on the preventive measures against Covid-19. He was tested positive before and said that he already has antibodies, so he doesn’t pay much attention on the preventive measures. However, my health is not good and I als

My daughter who always obtained excellent grades, moved up to Secondary One in a traditional prestigious school recently. I am delighted and plan to arrange tutoring teachers and interest classes for her, so that she can adapt to the new curriculum as soon as possible and achieve good results in her studies. However, when school year is about to start, she tells me that she don’t want to go to school. She is afraid that she won't be able to keep up with the progress of the course, and she is even more worried about meeting new friends. How can I help her deal with negative emotions, and boost her self-confidence?

Due to the pandemic, my husband has been unemployed in recent months. The family income has plummeted. Staying at home for a long time, we have conflict because of minor issues. These pressures are overwhelming. Anything can help with me?

Can I apply for maintenance through family mediation services during divorce?

Under the pandemic, the children are staying at home because of the class suspension. They become inattentive and undisciplined in learning. They feel bored but I am busy with housework and working at home. I feel fidgety and easy to scold. The relationships become tense. How can I do?

If I have difficulty communicating with my spouse, can I accept family mediation services unilaterally?

Can the parties or the family mediator make the contents of the family mediation meeting public or present it to the court?

Is the mediated settlement agreement legally binding?