Nick and his wife had been married for almost ten years when they separated. They both worked and had two young children. They reached an out of court divorce settlement.

What I learnt early on:

I had to treat divorce as a process: an unpleasant and emotionally draining experience, of course, but first and foremost a process. It helped soften the human side at times and highlight that all processes come to an end and that it is only a matter of time.

A close friend who had gone through a divorce a couple of years before me shared two pieces of advice with me: book a holiday as soon as your decree absolute is in sight so you have something very concrete to look forward to; and do not open letters or emails relating to the divorce at night or at the weekend. They often bring bad news and will inevitably result in a bad night’s sleep or ruining your weekend.