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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

    Thank you to Hannah and Nastassia, who were invaluable in getting me through a difficult divorce. I was taken through the process in detail, my questions were answered and every detail was taken into consideration. They made the process as speedy as possible and along with succinct and clear communication, were thorough, fair, transparent and precise. Very much appreciated was the care taken emotionally while remaining appropriately business-like which made an unpleasant situation as painless as possible. Many, many thanks for your excellent work on my behalf.
    Client: Mrs S
    I opted for Stowe Family Law by sheer chance, and I am very pleased that I did. Such a professional service from start to finish, kind and always happy to help with any issues that I had. I dealt with Kate Sarsfield and we built a relationship where I knew I could tell her anything and everything, to which she calmed me and gave me the best advise she could, and it worked. I have already recommended Stowe and Kate to friends in the same situation as me and they too are very happy with the service.
    Client: Mrs R
    Maria Coster at Stowe Family Law provided me with sound legal advice and navigation of the law throughout a divorce process that I found extremely traumatic and unfair. Maria was knowledgeable, experienced, personable, organised and straightforward.
    Client: Mr P
    Choosing a solicitor when going through a divorce is a very difficult decision. For anybody going through this agonising journey I make but one suggestion...Helen Miller. From the moment I spoke to Helen, I felt secure that she was the right person for the job. Not only her wealth of knowledge and experience, but her kind and empathetic manner put me at ease. Don’t be fooled, Helen is strong willed and will fight your case for you but she knows how to act with the other party to get the best outcome for her clients. Her suggestion of barrister, Simon, was also fantastic and both worked tremendously hard to achieve and secure a financial future for myself and my children. Thank you to Helen and all her colleagues at Stowe, I can not thank you enough for your help and support through the most trying of times.
    Client: Mrs C
    I found the firm very friendly and available when I needed them. They gave me great advice and got me to the result that I needed. I would firmly recommend them for their expertise in divorce matters.
    Client: Mr W
    Sarah Snow has, until just recently, been my divorce solicitor at Stowe Family Law working extremely hard on my behalf on a very long drawn-out difficult case. I cannot praise or recommend her integrity strongly enough. We built up a good rapport and instinctively Sarah seemed to understand my anxieties and was able to put me at ease at every step of the proceedings. Explaining all legal matters simply, in a way I could easily understand. It was the most difficult time of my life but I couldn't have got through it without Sarah's guidance, kindness and strength when required. She was always available for advice and support, and is an absolute credit to both Stowe Family Law and the legal profession.
    Client: Ms D
    Stowe Family Law provided professional support and direction during a difficult and contentious divorce proceeding, involving court settlements for financial and child custody elements. Despite demanding court deadlines and some challenges associated with exchanges between solicitors, Kate (and the Stowe Family Law team) was always able to meet deadlines and even contacted me outside of normal working hours when swift communication and action was required. I found Kate’s review and crafting of legal documents to be very helpful. Kate was able to recommend and co-ordinate with a very competent barrister to represent me during the court appearances and supported those interactions herself during those times. Although going through a divorce can be an incredibly sad and harrowing time, the legal services that were afforded by Kate did aid in making me feel supported and professionally guided during the overall process.
    Client: Mr C
    Well getting divorced is not exactly a joyous experience, but you are brilliant, so if someone is going through it, of course, I'd recommend you!
    Client: Anon
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