Spring is considered to be the season of new beginnings. It is a period of significant change and transformation in the weather and nature around us, as well as having spiritual and religious symbolisms of re-birth and new life.
It is a time to sow seeds, enjoy more daylight hours and for some, a time to turn over a new leaf in different areas of their life. Many people think that Spring is a better time to start ‘new year resolutions’ than January, when our energy levels tend to be lower. The Springtime is an opportunity to start new habits, regimes and make positive changes.
For some, this may mean leaving a difficult relationship and starting a new chapter of their lives.
Our Divorce Lawyers at Lamb Brooks share some insight into what starting a divorce looks like and how to start the process.
A Time for Change
Divorce rates are at a 10 year high at the moment. This could be due to a number of factors coming together at once. The pandemic and lockdowns took there toll on relationships, financial strains create for a difficult household, a change in working habits can give new perspective and the introduction of a ‘no fault’ divorce which many separated couples were waiting for before proceeding with divorce.
Spring cleaning is not just limited to de-cluttering the house or garden. Many people take it further and use it as a time for a personal or emotional overhaul.
Whatever the reasons for the breakdown of your relationship, if you feel that you now have clarity and it is time to move on, then your first starting point would be to have a meeting with a divorce solicitor so that you can see the lay of the land.
First Meeting with Divorce Solicitor
Plucking up the courage to call and book the first appointment with a solicitor is a brave first step to moving forward. It can be an emotional time as you come to terms with the fact that the marriage is soon to be over, but this is your opportunity to learn where you stand, what the process will look like and the different routes to go down.
At Lamb Brooks we offer a fixed fee appointment, which gives you up to an hour and a half with one of our specialist family solicitors. This appointment can be face-to-face in our private offices, over the phone or via Teams to suit you. To make the most of your time, detailed information will be taken beforehand, so that during your meeting you can ask plenty of questions, receive tailored advice, raise any concerns and get personal recommendations on your next steps.
After the appointment you will receive a detailed letter of advice along with any other useful information. It is then up to you to fully instruct us to move forward, or come back to us once you are ready to proceed. The idea of the appointment is to give you all the information you need to make a considered and informed decision about your future.
Tips for Starting a Divorce
If you are in the early stages of a separation – perhaps even still living together or yet to have a serious discussion about the outlook of your relationship, then there are some things that you can start to do now to prepare yourself.
- Get Support – speaking to a friend or confiding in a family member or colleague means that you are not going through this emotionally difficult time alone.
- Consider Your Children – if you have younger children from your marriage, then this can often be a point of conflict when divorcing. Think about what is best for them and give some consideration to how you would like shared contact to look.
- Organise Paperwork – there will be a lot of information that you need to gather ahead of applying for divorce and making financial arrangements. It is useful to gather together information now – such as your ID, loans, credit cards, bank statements, mortgage information etc.
- Find Your Marriage Certificate – often tucked away and never looked at again, you will need this to get divorced, so make sure you have it to hand and if it appears to be lost you can apply for a copy.
- Get Acquainted with your Finances – if you are not usually the person who keeps a handle of your household expenses, it would be a good idea to learn which providers you use and how much your bills are so that you know what is affordable.
- Seek Professional Advice – you may wish to meet with a financial adviser, a mortgage broker and estate agent as well as a solicitor so that you have stringent advice from all angles before taking the leap.
Get in Touch
If you are looking for some legal advice on your divorce, separation, finances or children arrangements, then please get in touch with our friendly and approachable family law team who can help you understand the process.
You can call us on 01256 844888, email enquiries@lambbrooks.com, complete an online enquiry form or alternatively, you can speak with our online chat assistant via our website.
We hope to help and guide you through the process to a brand-new beginning.
The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.