Separation in the City: A Guide to Divorcing Gracefully in London

Town or country, divorce can be tough but when you live in an expensive city, things can quickly turn ugly. In this article we’re sharing our guide to divorcing gracefully in London.

Divorce in expensive cities such as London, presents unique challenges due to heightened financial strains. The elevated cost of living complicates the division of assets, often leading to contentious disputes over property and child support. The valuation of properties in high-priced real estate markets adds complexity, making it harder to establish equitable settlements.

Whilst family law solicitors in London can help with the legal side of a divorce, you’re often left to figure your day to day by yourself. In this article, we’re sharing our tips on divorcing gracefully in London.

A Guide to Divorcing Gracefully in London

While it may not be possible to sail through your London divorce with a smile and a song, you don’t have to turn a drama into a saga. In this section, we’re looking at some ways in which you can keep your divorce as civil and stress-free as possible:

Consider the Benefits of Mediation

If your divorce is likely to be complicated or involves children and / or high value property or assets, this can raise tensions considerably and make the divorce process longer and more expensive in terms of solicitors’ fees.

In this instance, you may want to consider mediation in order to simplify and speed things along. Meditation involves hiring a third party to facilitate communication between the two parties in order to find a suitable resolution. Going with this option can really help to stop things from spiralling out of control during your divorce.

Find a Reliable Solicitor

When divorce rears its ugly head, the first thing you need to do is to engage the services of a reputable and sympathetic family law solicitor. These days, a quick Google search will offer any number of DIY divorce options, but these are rarely recommended by professionals.

A good divorce lawyer will be able to guide you through the process while making sure that your interests are taken care of. You can find a family law solicitor by either asking for recommendations from friends and family or searching online and checking out client reviews.

Streamline Communications and Get Organised

If your divorce is unwelcome, it can be tempting to bury your head in the sand and hope it goes away but, unfortunately, this will only make things worse. However hard it may be, make sure that you collate all of the relevant information and documentation to present to your solicitor as this will not only make his or her job easier but will save you cash too.

While you’re at it, it’s important to keep your emotions in check. Divorce can be stressful, upsetting and traumatic but allowing these emotions to dominate proceedings will only serve to make the process more difficult for everybody concerned.

If you don’t feel that you can speak to your ex in person without becoming emotional, try email or messaging which will allow you to order and filter your thoughts and language.

Lean on Your Network

One of the things that makes divorce so tough is the loss of the person with whom you’re used to socialising. This is the time to reconnect and build on friendships and relationships which you may have neglected during your marriage.

When you’re coupled up, it can be easy to opt for quiet nights in rather than going out-out – which can make a divorce feel extremely lonely. If you don’t already have a squad, it can be difficult to make friends in London – but by no means impossible.

Thankfully, there are plenty of forums and groups which you can join to connect with like-minded people, and these can usually be found on social media.

This is also the time to rediscover the things that you love about London which may have fallen by the wayside. For example, when was the last time that you went to the theatre or took a selfie on Parliament Hill?

Getting back in touch with your own London is a great way of reminding yourself of the person you were before your marriage – and can also help you to make new friends.

Dealing with your separation in the city…

Divorcing in London can be daunting – particularly if your marriage has been a long one – as, on top of the heartbreak, you may find yourself dealing with finding somewhere new to live, adapting to new financial circumstances and possibly child custody issues.

While none of this is fun, trying to stay positive and professional will really help to speed up the divorce process, thereby allowing you to move on and start rebuilding your life as quickly as possible.