Guest Post: Dos and Don’ts for Divorce in 2025
My guest post today concerns a subject none of us wants to think about, but one that can have huge financial (and other) ramifications, especially if not handled well.
Traditionally divorce lawyers see a peak in enquiries in January. Indeed, the first Monday in January is sometimes known as ‘Divorce Day’. This uptick may be partly to do with people putting off taking action till after the festive season is over. Nevertheless, divorce is undoubtedly a matter on the minds of many people at this time of year.
If – sadly – you find yourself in this position, my guest today, Simon Bassett, head of the family team at RWK Goodman, has put together some Dos and Don’ts to help ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible for you.
Over to Simon, then…
Dos and Don’ts for Divorce in 2025
Dos
- Focus on your long-term goal – your happiness and the children’s happiness.
- Build a support network – divorce can be a daunting process so build a support network of trusted family members and friends and consider using a therapist or divorce coach – we find that our clients who have good support make better decisions and are less likely to procrastinate.
- Choose your solicitor carefully – like any working relationship, you need find someone you can work with and build a rapport with. Seek recommendations from friends and colleagues and if the fit doesn’t feel right, find another.
- Try and keep the divorce amicable and out of court by using non-court methods such as mediation. Not only will this be better for your children and your own emotional health, it will also save you money in legal fees and speed up the process.
- Sort out your paperwork – if you have your finances in order, e.g. details of all your expenditure, income and pensions, this will save you masses in divorce fees.
- Be grateful for what you had – the end of a relationship should not be viewed as a failure. Some relationships simply run their course, so be grateful for what you had, e.g. there were many years of good times, and what the marriage produced, the children.
Don’ts
- If you are certain your marriage has come to an end, don’t delay taking action. Things may get messy, but they will get better!
- Look back and obsess about what went wrong.
- Compare your divorce to other people’s – every divorce is different.
- Don’t ignore your solicitor – if they recommend something, it will be based on many years’ experience and the advice will be specific to you and designed to achieve the best possible outcome.
- Don’t email your solicitor every time you have a heated exchange with your ex!
- Don’t be greedy – the courts take a very dim view of people who exaggerate what they may need post-divorce.
- No matter how tiresome your ex is, don’t ever be negative about him/her in front of the children. Remember that you are your children’s role model.
Simon Bassett is the head of the family team at RWK Goodman and has over 30 years’ experience advising clients on divorce and other family law issues.
Many thanks to Simon for his valuable advice. Although I’ve not been in this situation myself, I have friends and relatives who have. From what I have seen, the process is far less stressful for all concerned if matters can be conducted in a civilized – and even amicable – way.
You can contact Simon and his colleagues at RWK Goodman via their website. They have offices in London, Bath, Oxford, Swindon, Bristol, Marlborough and Thame.
As always, if you have any comments or queries about this post, please do leave them below.