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Making the decision to divorce

Making the decision to end a marriage or long-term relationship is a difficult one and not one that should never be taken lightly.  Ask yourself, do I really want to separate from my partner? Is there something else in my life causing my unhappiness?

You need to think through the decision to divorce or separate carefully and not from a place of anxiety, stress or depression. Read five things to think about before you end your marriage. 

Seek out some couples counselling, talk to your friends and family, talk to your spouse about the problems as you see them and be willing to work at saving your marriage before walking away.

Married couples

Getting divorced legally brings your marriage to an end, so that you are no longer husband and wife.

For those people not ready to dive straight into divorce proceedings, it is possible to obtain a judicial separation, whereby you remain married but legally separated, and this can deal with most financial claims. You can also set up a separation agreement, explore the alternatives to divorce.

However, if you separate but do not get divorced,  you will remain financially tied to each other and divorce continues to be the most popular way of formally separating from a spouse.

Unmarried couples

Unmarried couples do not have the same legal rights as those that are married or entered into a civil partnership.

If the relationship breaks down there is often limited legal protection.

Assets such as the family home are not divided as they might be in divorce and should a property dispute occur, trust and land law is applied instead.

There is no automatic entitlement to make financial, capital, spousal maintenance or pension claims

Counselling & support

Before you make the decision to separate or seek a divorce, counselling for yourself or as a couple can help you to communicate and talk through your issues.

Visit our Divorce Directory for a guide to counselling professionals and others who will support you

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    Related Information

    Divorce
    Civil Partnership Dissolution
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    What our clients say

    Chose Stowe Family Law with confidence. It is difficult to choose a solicitors firm, especially if you are parting with your hard-earned cash and the situation you find yourself in is an emotional one. Legal advice and representation is expensive, there is no getting away from that but at Stowe Family Law, you get value for money in the form of high quality, empathetic and pragmatic advice. Whilst we were busy pouring out our emotions, they were busy focusing on the facts of the matter and captured everything perfectly in a concise and no-nonsense manner. Stowe Family Law really made us feel as though they were on our side and genuinely supportive of our case whilst also being honest and realistic about the likely outcomes of the case, thus helping to manage our expectations. I highly recommend them.
    Client: Ms J
    I can't thank Jason Stanley and the Stowe team enough. Stowe handled my divorce both sensibly and cost-effectively, so when I needed help with Child Arrangements I naturally called Stowe. Jason gave sensible advice, which has given me the right outcome without incurring a huge cost. Communication was always clear and compassionate, and I was aware of all the options at each stage. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Jason and the Stowe team.
    Client: Mrs M
    If you are looking for an understanding family lawyer I can highly recommend Cath Porter. She is extremely professional and knowledgeable and always dealt with my divorce with empathy and compassion. I was kept informed every step of the way and always answered my queries in a timely manner. I cannot thank Cath enough for making the whole process of my divorce go as smooth as she did.
    Client: Anon
    Maria at Stowe family law was extremely caring and sympathetic to my complex separation. At no point did she push an agenda to ‘make money’ from a divorce. She was extremely helpful and as a team we were able to reconcile a very complex multifaceted separation. Thank you for your support Maria.
    Client: Mrs S
    Lucy has been wonderful to work with in terms of my divorce proceedings. Thank you so much for everything, I have very much enjoyed working with you.
    Client: Mrs S
    Maria Coster has been my solicitor for approximately 2 years. My case has been complex with many emotional ups and downs. Throughout this time Maria has been the voice of objectivity, understanding and compassionate. She possesses a natural flair for truly understanding her clients' needs, wishes, values and long term objectives. She has been a joy to work with and her professional skills are outstanding..organised, clear and methodical. Thank you, Maria, for being there through the toughest and challenging time of my life.
    Client: Mrs S
    May I take this opportunity to personally thank you for your support at this difficult time. I very much appreciated your flexibility and responsiveness to such tight turnaround times. I received a thorough, professional yet compassionate service.
    Client: Ms T
    What an absolute mission, but we finally got there!! As much as no one goes and gets married with the hope of getting divorced, I am extremely relieved that it is now done and dusted. ...I’m sure at times I’ve come across as a bit naïve in this type of thing, but you have been absolutely fantastic throughout. Genuinely, you have put my mind at rest too many times to count and I honestly believe it would have been far, far harder to get this done had I been working with anyone else. I can assure you that I will be recommending your services!
    Client: Mr B
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