What To Consider Before Divorce
Deciding to end a marriage is one of the biggest decisions a person can make. It affects your finances, your home, your children, and your sense of who you are. If you are considering divorce and wondering what to do next, it is therefore understandable to have lots of thoughts and emotions running through your head. Before you take the first formal step, it helps to slow down, think clearly about a few key areas, and understand what to consider before starting divorce proceedings.
Getting the right advice at any early stage when considering divorce is key, helping you to understand your position and feel more confident about the options ahead of you. With this in mind, our expert divorce solicitors in Plymouth have put together this short guide on what to consider before divorce, from your finances and living arrangements to the legal process itself.
Are you sure this is the right time?
One of the first things to consider before divorce is whether you genuinely feel ready to take the next step and have exhausted all other options to make the marriage work. It’s worth asking:
- Have you tried counselling/relationship coaching, either together or separately?
- Is this decision driven by a specific event, or a long-term pattern?
- Are you making this choice with a clear head, rather than in the middle of a crisis?
There’s no “correct” amount of certainty you need before starting. But taking a little time to reflect — rather than acting purely in the heat of the moment — usually makes the process ahead feel less chaotic. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have made a final decision before seeking legal advice, as speaking to one of our expert divorce solicitors in Plymouth can help you understand your options further before committing to formal proceedings.
Your financial picture
Money is one of the most practical, and often most stressful, parts of divorce. This means financial arrangements are one of the most important things to consider before divorce.
Before you start, try to build a clear picture of:
- What you own together: property, savings, pensions, investments, business interests.
- What you owe together: mortgages, loans, etc.
- What you own or owe individually.
- Your income and outgoings, both as a couple and as you’d expect them to look living apart.
Gather copies of bank statements, tax returns, pension statements, and property documents if you can. You should also keep a record of any significant assets, sources of income and liabilities, including anything you may hold in your name only. Having this information organised early makes everything that follows — negotiations, collaborative law, mediation, or court — much smoother.
Similarly, it’s also important not to jump into making any major financial decisions without understanding the possible consequences. Avoid taking action like transferring property or withdrawing significant savings without taking proper legal advice first.
Where you and any children will live
Practical living arrangements often need to be sorted out early, sometimes even before the divorce is finalised. If you are not sure what to consider before divorce related to your children and family arrangements, start by thinking about:
- Whether one of you will stay in the family home, or whether it will be sold.
- What temporary arrangements might look like in the meantime.
- How moving costs, rent, or a new mortgage would fit your budget.
Children’s wellbeing
If you have children, their stability and wellbeing are the priority. Consider:
- How and when you’ll tell them, and how to keep the message age-appropriate and free of blame.
- What arrangements for their time, schooling, and routines might work best.
- Whether family mediation could help you agree on parenting arrangements without conflict spilling into their lives.
Children generally cope best when both parents can keep disagreements away from them and maintain some consistency in daily routines.
Remember that you do not necessarily need to have every arrangement agreed before starting divorce proceedings, as your divorce solicitor will be able to help you make child arrangements. However, thinking about how the separation may affect your children can help you to approach discussions and subsequent legal proceedings in a more constructive way.
The legal process and your options
If you’re considering divorce, understanding the different ways you can resolve matters is another important step to take before initiating formal proceedings. Divorce doesn’t have to mean a courtroom battle. Common routes include:
- Solicitor-led negotiation: each person has their own solicitor, and the solicitors negotiate on your behalf.
- Collaborative law: each person appoints their own collaboratively trained lawyer and you and your respective lawyers all meet together to work things out face to face. Both of you will have your lawyer by your side throughout the process and so you will have their support and legal advice as you go.
- Mediation: a neutral third party helps you and your ex-partner agree on arrangements. Please note that the mediator cannot give either of you legal advice. It is important that you each get your own legal advice from a specialist solicitor.
- Court proceedings: used when an agreement can’t be reached.
A family law solicitor can explain and help you choose the right process for you.
Emotional support
You do not necessarily need to make any immediate decisions if you are considering divorce and working out what to do next. Whatever you do decide, the process is likely to be taxing and emotionally challenging. After all, the legal and financial sides of divorce are only part of the picture, so it helps to have support in place before things get underway:
- Friends or family you can lean on.
- A counsellor or therapist, if that feels right for you.
- Realistic expectations that there will be difficult days, even if the decision is the right one.
Getting the right professional advice
Before making any major moves — like moving out, or agreeing to a financial settlement — it’s worth speaking to a family law solicitor and, if your finances are complex, a financial adviser or accountant. They can help you understand your rights and obligations before decisions become harder to reverse. You do not have to wait until you have decided to get a divorce before speaking to a solicitor; in fact, an initial conversation may give you clarity and help you get a better understanding of your options.
If you are considering a divorce in Plymouth, the expert divorce solicitors in our specialist family law team are on hand to help you no matter how far along you are in your consideration of divorce. With years of experience, we understand that every relationship is different and will help you to reach the best resolution for your family, whether that’s formal divorce proceedings or mediation.
There’s rarely a “perfect” time to start a divorce, but going in with a clear head, an honest look at your finances, a plan for any children involved, and the right professional support can make a genuinely difficult process feel more manageable — for you and for everyone else affected by it.
To arrange a confidential discussion with our divorce solicitors in Plymouth, please get in touch by calling GA Solicitors on 01752 203500 or emailing enquiries@GAsolicitors.com.
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