New Year, New You? Divorce Preparation: The Christmas Checklist.

It is probably one of those documents that you know you put in a safe place, but you just cannot remember where that safe place is. If you are intending to issue Divorce Proceedings in the new year, it would be beneficial to start hunting for your marriage certificate sooner rather than later, as if your safe place was just too safe, you can order a replacement online, from the government website.

It is important to have this document at the outset, as a copy of the marriage certificate is required to be uploaded alongside the application for Divorce, and proceedings cannot be issued without it.

We strongly advise clients that before we can advise them specifically about the likely settlement they could expect to receive, it is imperative that they exchange financial disclosure with their ex-partner.

During the process of financial disclosure, parties are expected to provide full and frank financial information to one another. This takes the form of documents such as: bank statements, evidence of their income, information about the value of their pensions and the details of any property or assets that they own.

To get a head start, it would be good to start gathering this information while you have some time at home to look for, download or make copies of such documents. This will be extremely helpful, as after walking away from your first meeting with your solicitor, you will not be starting from zero and you are less likely to feel overwhelmed when you are asked to collate your financial information.

The ending of a relationship, whether by agreement or otherwise, is a significant life event and can be emotionally challenging. It is extremely important to seek support from your friends and family, or even professional support to get you through this difficult time.

Equally as important as seeking emotional support is seeking legal advice. Although it feels like AI has taken over and ChatGPT is your best friend, it is crucial to seek legal advice from a real-life lawyer who can advise on your particular circumstances.

Once a decision has been made to separate, it is advisable to act sooner rather than later. Despite the fact that parties have made the decision to separate or even gone to the lengths of divorce, without a court order in plac,e they remain open to a financial claim being made against them in the future, by their ex-spouse.