Guide to divorce and separation

Even the most amicable divorce or separation is likely to be difficult and stressful at times. If you are already feeling upset and angry, then worrying about legal proceedings, your financial arrangements and what happens to you – and your children – can be an additional concern.

If you have not consulted a solicitor before, you may also feel anxious about seeking legal advice. In fact, this is one of the wisest moves you can make.

Independent legal advice can be crucial in helping to resolve issues relating to divorce or separation; if you’re not sure whether you have grounds for divorce, or if you’re concerned about the arrangements for your children, or about financial issues and how your money and property might be divided, you should consult a solicitor.

Your solicitor’s job is to look after your interests, and those of any children. They will give realistic, professional advice that is right for you and your circumstances, using their knowledge of the law and their professional experience.

Divorce law has been designed to be flexible enough to meet the different needs of every couple affected – around 150,000 marriages end in divorce each year in England and Wales alone – so at times it can seem complex and confusing.

This guide covers some of the key points relating to separation and divorce. For simplicity, we use the term “partner” to mean a husband, wife or civil partner and “married” to describe being married or in a civil partnership. We also use the word “divorce” for both married couples and civil partners, although for civil partners divorce is known as “dissolution”.

The law is substantially similar for both marriages and civil partnerships and we raise the main differences between them.

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To find out more about how we can help you, please contact our family law specialists.