For couples seeking an amicable divorce in the UK, the options of mediation and a shared lawyer provide effective ways … Read More

After an amicable divorce, many people look to move forward and begin a new chapter in life. For some, this … Read More

Co-parenting during holidays and special occasions can be challenging, but with thoughtful planning, it’s possible to ensure the experience is … Read More

Divorcing within a blended family adds complexity to the process, but an amicable approach can help minimise conflict and protect … Read More

Divorce is often viewed through an emotional lens, but for couples looking to separate amicably, addressing the financial aspects of … Read More

When navigating an amicable divorce, creating a flexible co-parenting plan is essential. As children grow, their needs, schedules, and emotional … Read More

Divorce, even when amicable, is a significant life event that can disrupt your financial stability and long-term planning. Understanding how … Read More

Divorce is often portrayed as a contentious and painful process, but it doesn’t have to be. For couples in the … Read More

When embarking on the journey of divorce, many couples in the UK strive for an amicable resolution, hoping to part … Read More

An amicable divorce is a commendable and increasingly popular choice among couples in the UK. By choosing to separate with … Read More

In the realm of divorce, one prevailing myth holds significant sway: the belief that a fair divorce settlement can only … Read More

Co-parenting after divorce can be challenging, but with the right strategies and mindset, it’s possible to create a positive and … Read More

Navigating the complexities of co-parenting after a divorce can be challenging, but with the right approach and strategies, it is … Read More

Effective communication between co-parents is essential for successfully navigating the challenges of co-parenting after divorce. Without clear and respectful communication, … Read More

Divorce is seldom easy, especially when children are involved. The transition from being a couple to being co-parents can be … Read More

In the realm of divorce and co-parenting, there exists a pervasive myth that successful co-parenting means achieving a state of … Read More

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory has published a briefing paper which is intended to prompt discussion and reflection about how … Read More

In the realm of divorce, the prospect of lengthy court battles can be daunting and emotionally taxing. However, there’s another … Read More

It’s always nice to be recognised, so we’re pleased to say that both our co-founders Harry and Sam have been … Read More

Divorce is undeniably one of life’s most challenging transitions. Amidst the emotional turmoil, the last thing anyone wants is a … Read More

The decision in NA v LA [2024] of Nicholas Allen KC (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) has cleared up any … Read More

A new Pre-application Protocol for financial remedy proceedings was published last week, providing very useful and insightful judicial guidance on … Read More

A recurring mistake that many divorcing couples can make when navigating the delicate balance of co-parenting arrangements is ignoring emotional … Read More

In the realm of divorce, emotions often run high, and decisions can be clouded by hurt and resentment. Amidst this … Read More

Divorce is undoubtedly a challenging process, but it doesn’t always have to be contentious. For couples seeking an amicable separation, … Read More

Divorce is never easy, but for those seeking an amicable separation, the emotional journey can be particularly challenging. In this … Read More

Divorce is never easy, but it doesn’t have to be acrimonious either. For couples seeking to part ways amicably, sharing … Read More

Divorce is undoubtedly a challenging chapter in anyone’s life. However, it doesn’t always have to be filled with hostility and … Read More

When it comes to divorce, the word “amicable” might not be the first thing that comes to mind for many … Read More

Amicable divorce, often perceived as an elusive concept, is a route many divorcing couples aim to take. The desire to … Read More

She won!!! Our co-founder Samantha won Innovator of the Year at the Women & Diversity in Law Awards on 13th … Read More

OK, so this is a question that we hope we will soon never have to ask again – because the … Read More

In recent years, the landscape of divorce in the United Kingdom has undergone a significant transformation. A recent YouGov poll, … Read More

Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Don’t imagine everyone else is having a great … Read More

Divorce can be a challenging time for the entire family, especially for children. Amidst the emotional turmoil and legal complexities, … Read More

Each of you must give a financial disclosure, It must be full, frank and clear. Having confidence in each other’s … Read More

The holiday season, particularly Christmas, is a time of joy and family gatherings. However, for those who are going through … Read More

Separation is overwhelming. And if you have children, there is an additional burden of navigating it in a way which … Read More

Divorce is a legal process… But handled right there should be no need at all to find yourself anywhere near … Read More

Taking your time is fine. It isn’t a delay itself which is a problem, it’s being stuck in prolonged conflict … Read More

Divorce is not just a significant shift in the lives of the couple involved, but it also reverberates through their … Read More

For most people, this will be the fundamental question – two households are more expensive than one, so how will … Read More

Divorce etiquette refers to the unwritten rules and guidelines that help individuals navigate divorce, both during after the separation process. … Read More

Divorce reflects broader societal trends and shifts. An analysis of recent divorce data in the UK sheds light on these … Read More

Here are some top tips: 1. Please know that it is completely normal to find divorce stressful. It is stressful. … Read More

If only it were that simple! We understand that financial negotiations can be a scary prospect… but understanding the court’s … Read More

Newspapers love talking about ‘quickie’ divorces. We hear of celebs who seem to fast-track the system and get a divorce … Read More

How does the rising cost of living affect divorce? Cases can be harder to settle, meaning its even more vital … Read More

This feels like a controversial thing to say. But it really shouldn’t be. For some families, divorce can be the … Read More

Can the other parent stop me? What do I need to know? Relocations are some of the hardest cases, as … Read More

The issue of ‘family loans’ comes up time and again in the cases we see. Money is often very tight … Read More

From a legal perspective, it can do, Yes… If you and your fellow co-parent were not married or in a … Read More

Assuming you don’t have a ‘prenup’ to give you an answer, then it’s 50-50 right? Wrong. Cases where the capital … Read More

This feels like a controversial thing to say. But it really shouldn’t be. For some families, divorce can be the … Read More

It’s so important to do your research before you start. Make sure your legal team shares your values – do … Read More

As we come into September, that new school term feeling can cause reflections on many aspects of life, including relationships. … Read More

The law has been developed over centuries to guarantee your rights upon divorce. So, you should be highly suspicious of … Read More

Many people don’t realise that family judges can adjourn cases if you ask them to, so you can have a … Read More

We can help you find out the basics, so you can decide what help you will need. Most couples who … Read More

Divorce is hard. Of course it is. Any separation is tough, and the human emotions involved can feel overwhelming at … Read More

Your essential guide to the court’s approach and when you will and wont need expert legal advice. One of the … Read More

It is not unusual for parents to disagree about where and for how long their children should spend on holiday … Read More

It can be daunting knowing where to start… so we have done the hard work for you! It’s been more … Read More

You need to be able to pay when due and you can’t come to a fair settlement without understanding your … Read More

Involving children in decisions which affect them is encouraged by child professionals and the courts. But that’s NOT the same … Read More

Would you consider a ‘Petnup’? As a nation of animal lovers, you won’t be surprised to hear that the issue … Read More

The Overriding Objective is set out at the start of the Family Procedure Rules, and sets out a blueprint for … Read More

Are you allowed to help yourself to your spouse’s financial information when you divorce? Probably not, but it depends… Be … Read More

The ‘no order principle’ is a principle family judges have to apply in every case concerning children which comes before … Read More

There are more and more blended families out there showing us all how you can navigate divorce and remain a … Read More

It sounds obvious, but it took until White v White in 2001 for the courts to spell out that discrimination … Read More

When you’re getting divorced, you can be overwhelmed with advice (all well-meaning, but too much to process). So here’s our … Read More

It is the dismissal of one’s spouse’s financial claim against the other on divorce. It can be in relation to … Read More

It depends on how you approach it… The minimum is 6 months, but if you end up in court you’re … Read More

How much, and how long? and how do we agree on an outcome? In England & Wales, It’s fair to … Read More

Yes! And don’t be put off by the word ‘good’ in this context, the divorce process can be a tough … Read More

Schooling choices are challenging at the best of times. Analysing catchment areas, navigating the 11+ and working out which school … Read More

Divorce can be a catalyst to revert to your maiden name.  But what does that mean for your children? What … Read More

The court is simply trying to be fair. Sounds beguilingly simple, doesn’t it? But being fair to both parties isn’t … Read More

Divorce still carries so much stigma, but we need it to STOP. 42% of marriages end in divorce, and we … Read More

It is obvious that settling is good because it’s cheaper and quicker than the alternative, which is having an outcome … Read More

We regularly post the latest news and research on our feed. But sometimes it’s helpful to have a recap. And … Read More

It’s what used to be called the CSA. It assesses and collects child maintenance in England and Wales, some of … Read More

Sounds like a terrible mix? but, it doesn’t have to be! Don’t let assumptions about divorce define your relationships with … Read More

 There is no one size fits all answer… There is no one ‘needs’, like beauty, they are in the … Read More

Unless it’s a genuine emergency, give yourselves a break from lawyers, divorce and everything that goes with it. You can … Read More

‘Divorcing well’ is increasingly the key aim of couples facing separation. Celebrities such Glennon Doyle and Gwyneth Paltrow have helped … Read More

It’s normal to find it hard, it’s normal to find it overwhelming, the more you can plan and prepare, the … Read More

It’s simple… share a lawyer wherever possible, and insist on fixed fees before you start. It hardly needs to be … Read More

The number of unmarried couples is growing hugely… but, family law has not caught up… there is NO SUCH THING … Read More

It’s starting with the wrong mindset. If you start a divorce thinking it’s going to be a battle, that you … Read More

Parental responsibility is the legal relationship between an adult and a child. It encapsulates all the decision-making power and authority … Read More

If not, you should… Think of your divorce as a work project… The more it consumes you, the harder it … Read More

We get asked about inheritances all the time. People often instinctively feel that inherited wealth should be left out of … Read More

Divorce is often a catalyst to reassess everything about your life, and where you live is a big one. For … Read More

If you are agreed you want to resolve your finances once and for all, then the best way forward is … Read More

It’s a terrible state of affairs that many divorcing couples are scared to get legal advice because they think getting … Read More

A recent report said that the Family Court are ‘in crisis’, reflecting the ever-increasing length of time it is taking … Read More

Humans are complex creatures. Relationships don’t have clean endings. Often, the ending of an intimate relationship means the start of … Read More

A fear on divorce which can really consume people is the idea that they should have seen the divorce coming, … Read More

We are all so much better than we were a decade ago when it comes to talking about mental health. … Read More

Prenups are legal documents entered into before marriage with the aim of regulating what happens to your finances if you … Read More

Working together isn’t easy. When your relationship is ending, and you realise that your futures lie in different directions, instinctively … Read More

Again and again research is showing the damaging impact of Family Court proceedings on the children involved. It’s easy just … Read More

People are often shocked to discover that privacy is not guaranteed to litigants in the Family Court. There is a … Read More

It’s often said that it takes at least a year to recover from a close bereavement, but recovery from a … Read More

In times of crisis, we turn to our friends. Divorce, whether you instigated it or not, is a massive life … Read More

The reasonableness of any financial settlement is dependent on the quality of the disclosure which you’ve each given. Because if … Read More

Separating, or contemplating divorce, can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. But know this: it … Read More

If you break something it can be repaired, but it will never be ‘perfect’ again. Which is why the term … Read More

Family lawyers are often unfairly described as being in it for themselves. But you may well be surprised to know … Read More

This is your divorce. And there is no ‘one size fits all’. You know, better than anyone else, the things … Read More

This is a huge issue for so many of the couples we see. The idea that the fact of their … Read More

Maintenance can be one of the more difficult aspects of arranging your finances on separation. If you have children, most … Read More

The 38% statistic came from a study by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory in 2019. And it caused a massive … Read More

Ask any family lawyer if they’d want to go to court to resolve the arrangements for their family and you’ll … Read More

Regardless of whether you are going through the most amicable divorce possible or not, you will likely experience a rollercoaster … Read More

In any separation, frame of mind matters more than anything. It is the key to dealing with the many emotions … Read More

The real difficulty with divorce is that you start from a place of emotional distance. You may be reeling from … Read More

When it comes to sorting out your finances, one question we often get asked is: will there be a ‘clean … Read More

So many of the divorcing couples we meet are riddled with guilt that their divorce is going to be bad … Read More

What you’ll find, when you develop a relationship with your solicitor or barrister, is that they will come to know … Read More

Getting divorced is a life-changing event, but it doesn’t need to be daunting. In fact, many married couples experience a … Read More

Divorce is a significant life change and knowing how to move on afterwards is essential to the entire process. But … Read More

Most high profile and celebrity couples will issue a joint statement when they separate. They do it to set a … Read More

Going through a separation or divorce presents a unique set of challenges. Not only are you dealing with the re-organisation … Read More

Today is known as ‘Divorce Day’ and so we asked our co-founder Samantha Woodham to speak about it (spoiler alert, she’s not … Read More

Life after divorce is certainly different, and if the event is still fresh it might feel overwhelming at first. But … Read More

One of the most challenging events following a divorce is the first co-parenting Christmas. But while it will be a … Read More

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were more than 100,000 divorces of opposite-sex couples in 2019. That equates … Read More

In the same way that a married couple can get a divorce, two people in a civil partnership can also … Read More

Divorce can impact children in many different ways. But it’s important to understand that the impact isn’t always negative. In … Read More

While it’s often billed as a negative event, divorce can have many positive outcomes for couples. In this post, we … Read More

Knowing how to talk to your child and how to understand their feelings are two of the most important things … Read More

Divorce can trigger a range of emotions, especially if the situation has taken you somewhat by surprise. But by keeping … Read More

Dealing with divorce is a difficult time for everyone, but when children are involved, there is the additional burden of … Read More

While divorce is a difficult and emotional experience for all involved, it’s also, sadly, a rather common occurrence. Indeed, according … Read More

Disagreeing about divorce is not unusual. While one spouse may have made up their mind and decided that permanent separation … Read More

We have been pointing out in these pages for some time how divorce in the workplace remains a grossly underacknowledged … Read More

It sounds like such a simple question. But the way you tell your friends, family and colleagues that you are … Read More

Resolving Finances FAQs What is a financial settlement? What are you entitled to on divorce? How quickly can you reach … Read More

If you’re finding co-parenting hard, that’s because it is hard. Parenting is hard. Human relationships always have ups and downs, … Read More

We have all heard the horror stories of a bad divorce – the battle, betrayal, pain, blame and shame; the … Read More

The landmark Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 became law on 6 April 2022. The most significant change this brought … Read More

Glennon Doyle’s bestselling book inspired us all to live Untamed. Barrister and Co-founder of The Divorce Surgery, Samantha Woodham, explains … Read More

 Christmas, and many other festive periods, can be overwhelming at the best of times. There is so much expectation … Read More

What is “no fault” divorce? The landmark Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 became law on 6 April 2022. The … Read More

Our inadequate system for helping families to separate with dignity and at proportionate cost has come into ever-clearer focus with … Read More

Many couples (wrongly) believe that getting divorced has to be a long, emotional, costly affair. But the reality is that … Read More

Deciding to separate is for most people a momentous decision. But having taken the plunge, what are the practical steps … Read More

Options are great. When it comes to restructuring your family unit after divorce or separation, and dividing up your finances, … Read More

A short Q&A for those looking to divorce amicably in the UK What Does Amicable Divorce Mean? An amicable divorce … Read More

Philippa Richardson, ex-lawyer, divorcee and Founder of The Circle Line, explores the process of divorce from a psychological perspective. Never … Read More

In the first, and in all probability last, in our series about how the course of the world might have … Read More

The majority of issues affecting divorcing couples have no relevance to their age whatsoever. Treating divorce as a shared problem, … Read More

Many readers will be surveying the gloomy economic outlook with trepidation over the summer. Job losses are forecast to rise sharply … Read More

Why you really do need to think about getting divorced in a non-adversarial way… Divorce has a terrible reputation. Say … Read More

At The Divorce Surgery you won’t be surprised to hear we see a lot of separating families. It is obvious … Read More

Dating and divorce aren’t words you often see in the same sentence. But the reality is that they often come … Read More

You probably don’t realise it, but if you have a close friend going through a divorce then you are going … Read More

‘Divorce is riven with high emotion and often irrational behaviour. It is by its nature combative, but lawyers are increasingly … Read More

At The Divorce Surgery we encourage all our couples to access help from the right experts at the right time. … Read More

Everyone knows that divorce is expensive, and particularly the financial aspects of divorce. The chances are that one of you … Read More

UPDATE: 02/11/20 – As England enters a second lockdown on Thursday we wanted to remind co-parents that the guidance in respect … Read More

Divorce is a reality which affects many couples. 42% of marriages end in divorce. But some employers do not engage … Read More

There seems to be an assumption that every aspect of human life is in the deep freeze until we emerge … Read More

Whilst the President of the Family Division has made it clear that the Court’s key aim over coming weeks is … Read More

Thanks to coronavirus, parents are being asked to make significant changes to the way that their family functions. With children … Read More

At The Divorce Surgery we encourage all our couples to access help from the right experts at the right time. … Read More

The Coronavirus is impacting every aspect of our daily lives, in ways which would have been inconceivable just a few … Read More

The Split, a BBC One drama which follows the personal and legal challenges faced by the Defoes (a family of … Read More

When a couple divorce, a question of key concern is what will happen to our family home? This is because … Read More

Here at The Divorce Surgery, we are regularly contacted by couples who know they want to get a divorce and … Read More

When parents separate, one of the first issues they must address is how they will provide financially for their children … Read More

When a marriage breaks down, starting the divorce process can be daunting. It can seem like there is a lot … Read More

The question most frequently asked by divorcing couples is what would be a fair settlement of our financial situation on … Read More

A Single Lawyer or a Single Lawyer Provider is the same as a One Couple One Lawyer service: it enables … Read More

One Couple One Lawyer is a service which enables a separating couple to jointly instruct one impartial barrister who can … Read More

Step 1: The Divorce/ Dissolution Petition The following must apply to you: You must have been married or in a … Read More

Although campaigners have been working hard to reform the divorce law in England and Wales for some time now, no-fault … Read More

The majority of our work at The Divorce Surgery involves assisting couples with negotiating a fair and amicable settlement of … Read More

The majority of our work at The Divorce Surgery involves assisting couples with negotiating a fair and amicable settlement of … Read More

We are often asked by our clients: what does a clean break in divorce mean? This blog will answer just … Read More

Marriage Story, released recently on Netflix, is a compellingly accurate, often painful to watch, account of the fallout when a … Read More

Many couples who complete their Forms E are frankly a little confused by the following text at part 4.4: “Bad … Read More

In short, no. The court is an integral part of the process but you do not have to attend at … Read More

Traditionally, when a marriage or civil partnership breaks down, each side instructs a lawyer to represent their interests when dividing … Read More

Founded by experienced and specialist family law barristers Samantha Woodham and Harry Gates, The Divorce Surgery has won awards for … Read More

When a relationship breaks down, are a number of difficult decisions have to be made. Where there are children involved, … Read More